Walking With Jesus

Heart or Head?

“You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say.” (Psalm 17:3 NLT)

The real measure of a person’s life isn’t what’s found in their head, but what’s in their heart. I can say and do many right things, but if my heart is wrong, at least from the standpoint of what pleases the Lord, I’ve said and done them in vain.

King David understood this principle when he wrote: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 NLT) And in Psalm 119:11 the writer records: “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Vance Havner wrote: “It is not the Word hidden in the head but in the heart that keeps us from sin.”

Why does it matter? There are at least two issues this topic addresses. First, if a person’s relationship with God is built and dependent upon knowledge, that which is conceived, pondered, considered, and followed predominantly from an intellectual perspective, they very likely aren’t following the God of the Bible. Why would I say that?

Jesus quotes Isaiah in Matthew 15:8-9 when He says: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” Then again in Matthew 22:37 Jesus says: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Yes, of course, the heart will often reflect the understanding of the mind, but the point is, we cannot love the Lord with our mind alone.

The Gospel can be understood with our mind, but if we don’t respond with our heart, it’s valueless. It’s not what we know to be true that saves us, it’s our willingness to respond to that Truth, opening our heart and yielding our will to the governing presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

This is not to say that we follow with “blind faith,” a faith that is built on emotion void of a reasoned understanding. It’s not an “either or,” but a “both and” consideration. We need a faith that’s built on a clear understanding of God’s Word, but which is applied through a surrendered heart.

Which leads to the second issue that needs to be considered. Notice the Psalmist instructed us to hide God’s Word in our heart, “that I (we) might not sin against You.” How do we hide God’s Word in our heart? Primarily by memorization.

Reading casually, even if we read every day, will not suffice. Especially if we’re reading to fulfill an obligation or to satisfy a spiritual commandment. We’ve got to read every word with attentiveness and if we lose our train of thought, go back, and read it again. The point is not how much you read, but how much you understand and are hiding in your heart.

If a verse stands out, write it down on a 3 X 5 card. On the other side write the reference. Have an ongoing list of 8-10 verses you’re committing to memory. Why is that important? If you’re speaking with someone on a break at work, in a casual setting, on an airplane, etc. you likely won’t have your Bible with you. But if you can draw verses quickly from your memory, the Lord can use His quoted Word to apply Truth to the heart of the one with whom you’re speaking.

Here’s the bottom line: We need an informed faith that stirs the heart to share God’s love with others in order that our lives bless people and glorify God.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does It Matter What We Believe?

“They (the apostles) told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.” (Jude 1:17 NLT)

Considering recent posts that I’ve written, the Lord prompted me to address a question that some may have. Someone may think: “So does it really matter what I believe, as long as I don’t cause division in the Body of Christ?” The fact is it matters very much what we believe. Some form of “believe, belief, faith” is used nearly 350 times in the New Testament alone.

We’re instructed in the Bible to believe many things related to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, prayer, the Gospel, holy living and on and on. Right living results from right belief. We live based on what we believe. But my point is that none of us get it all right. We’re all flawed human beings with imperfect minds and hearts.

My heart is to promote unity and loving tolerance within the Body of Christ, not to excuse heresy or teachings that clearly disregard or contradict Scripture. Jesus didn’t come to bring unity to the world, He came to bring unity to His Church, His Body, His eternal Family. Jesus certainly loves the world, but only those who trust Him and choose to believe and follow Him are invited into His eternal Family.

As one of my readers rightly pointed out, Jesus’ teachings can be very divisive, demanding we come to terms with what we believe about Him. We must also recognize that that decision alone will often bring division between us and those who don’t believe in Jesus, even within our own families. But even then, we don’t have to be obnoxious as if we’re better than those who don’t yet believe in Him.

We’re sinners saved by grace and still capable of anything anyone else in the world could do, say, or think. I love Jesus with as much of my heart as I know to give Him, but apart from the power of His Spirit I’m no better than the worst of sinners. We’re saved by grace, but we also live by grace. That’s why it’s so important to keep short accounts with God and others.

As God teaches and leads me from day to day, He will point out areas of my life that need to change. Ideas, intentions, attitudes, anything that’s unlike Him must go. That’s why I can’t be critical of another believer. We’re all works in progress.

It’s also critical that I’m kind, caring, polite, thoughtful, and non-judgmental even of those who don’t yet believe. I’m not aware of anyone who has ever been argued into the Kingdom of God. Yes, of course, I speak with unbelievers, but my life must speak much more loudly than my lips. I might think I believe perfectly and explain things with authority, but if it’s not done with love, humility, and kindness, I’ve missed the point of sharing in the first place.

Perhaps the Apostles’ Creed can serve as a starting point for our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ, which says: “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived from the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, descended into hell, rose again from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty, who will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (the Body of Christ worldwide) Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who Are You Following?

“Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.’ Others are saying, ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Peter,’ or ‘I follow only Christ.’ Has Christ been divided into factions?” (I Corinthians 1:12-13 NLT)

There were times I read the above passage and marveled that people could be so thoughtless. How could anyone be so stupid as to follow a man and not Christ? Then it was as if the Lord said: “Okay most bright one, do you actually dare to believe that you follow only Me?” And, at first, in my naivete I still clung to the hope that I was.

Then He asked me questions like: “Where did you go to school? Look at the names on your many books? Do you not think they’ve influenced how you see Me? Whose messages do you listen to? What do your closest friends believe about Me?” It caused me to question what it means to bear the name “Christian.”

There are so many opinions. Think of the many denominations, and factions even among those of the same church group. Even within any given congregation it’s difficult to get consensus on some issues.

Then we read a verse like Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that I mentioned in yesterday’s post, that says: “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.”

It’s frightening to realize that each of us as so-called “Jesus followers,” derive so much of what we believe, not from the Bible, but from the pens and lips of other so-called “Jesus” followers. Many who profess faith in Jesus rarely if ever read the Bible for themselves. The sum-total of their daily or weekly “readings” of God’s Word come from those in whom they’ve placed their faith, mostly their pastors’ messages, or podcasts or youtube messages from various pastors/teachers.

And the irony is, each profess and believe that their messages are straight from “God’s Word.” I get it. I really do. I say the same thing. But in my more lucid moments I understand that I rarely have a thought that hasn’t been influenced by something I’ve read or heard.

So, what are we to do? The message the Lord has been giving me, thus the reason I continue to write these kinds of posts, is to stop arguing! If we push back virtually everything anyone in history has ever taught, it rests, not on the Bible alone, but upon the teachings of someone’s understanding of the Bible.

Over the years the predominant “voices” have been Luther, Calvin, Arminius, Whitefield, Wesley, Spurgeon, Tozer, Lewis, and on and on. And today we listen to Jeremiah, Keller, Piper, Stanley, Warren, MacArthur, and on and on. And don’t hear what I’m not saying – I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t read any of these men’s accounts. Yes, absolutely, read them. But understand that the only Person who possesses absolute understanding of Truth is Jesus.

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Every other human being who has ever lived, is living, or who will ever live, does not and cannot know and understand everything that can be known about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible. What’s my point? Stop arguing and causing division in the Body of Christ seeking to persuade others to adopt your flawed understanding of Scripture.

What I share with you are simply insights gained from walking with the Lord for many years. But I’m a flawed human being and there are many things I don’t yet understand. None of us will fully understand everything until we pass from this life to the next, then it will all be crystal clear. Always test what I say with what you read in the Bible, not necessarily and only what you read in someone else’s books.

In the meantime, let’s be agents of good to embrace one another and walk with one another regardless of whose opinion we favor. Satan celebrates every time we separate as brothers and sisters because we don’t agree on points of doctrine.

Let’s read God’s Word and embrace what revelation the Lord gives us and use it to follow Jesus as closely as we can, while not using it to push those with whom we don’t agree away. Lord help us!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Jesus Sees You!

“’How do you know about me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, ‘I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.’” (John 1:48 NLT)

One of the most powerful desires we have as human beings is to be seen. In the world in which we live it’s so easy to feel invisible. The Covid virus surfaced and magnified the loneliness that many were already experiencing but had gone undetected. Being forced to be alone has caused an increase in anxiety, depression, and suicides.

What does “being seen” mean? Think of a continuum. On the one end is literally “being seen, acknowledged, being noticed.” Then slide a little further and you see things like “worthy of someone’s attention.” Keep moving along and you’ll finally come to “understood for who you are” and, for our purposes as children of God, “identified as having a legitimate place in the family of God.”

God sees us! Another way to say that may be – He gets us! He understands the idiosyncrasies that each of us has because He designed and created us to be this way. He doesn’t see us as odd or different, He sees us as His beloved child whom He has gifted and equipped to be the man or woman of God, He specifically desires us to be.

There’s a contribution to the Body of Christ that no one else can make; a role that no other person who has ever lived can play – except YOU! I believe that was the message Nathanael heard when Jesus told him He saw him under the fig tree.

It’s pure speculation as to what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree but suffice it to say that whatever it was it was important to him. The second season of The Chosen includes a scene in which Nathanael, a trained architect, has had a disappointing setback in his career. He goes to the fig tree to escape people, in order that he might pour his heart out to God.

He explains to God that his whole purpose for becoming an architect was so that he could build temples that would honor God. At one point he says something like: “Didn’t you see that what I was trying to do was all for YOU?”

Then to come face to face with God in human flesh who says to him: “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Think of the impact Jesus’ words had on his spirit. Nathanael was broken, defeated, discouraged, downtrodden, and on the verge of depression, yet Jesus spoke the very words he most needed to hear – “I see you!”

When we push all the exterior coverings away, isn’t that what you and I most want to hear? In our heart of hearts, isn’t what we most desire is to have someone see us for who and what we really are – warts and all?

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged.” I get weak knees just thinking about that day. I can’t conceive of having the strength to stand in my Savior’s presence. Kneel? Maybe. Lie prostrate? Probably.

As Jesus followers we’re all on a pilgrimage of faith that ideally will render us more and more like Jesus as we grow and develop as His children. But to stand before pure holiness and perfection will surely reveal that the little bit of progress we’ve made is still grossly different, immeasurably less than that of the One in whose presence we stand.

Aren’t you grateful He sees you – not only for what you were and are, but for what you’ll one day become – in Him!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are “White Lies” Okay?

“And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (James 3:10 NLT)

Some of the most unforgettable and irreparable damage we do for the Kingdom of God is caused by using words, the negative effects of which, we give little or no thought. We are so prone to open our mouths before we consult our brains, which often leads to hurt feelings, strained and broken relationships, or worse. The Biblical writer James spends much of chapter three addressing this issue.

One avenue of this subject is commonly referred to as a “white lie,” and is often justified by our desire to not hurt someone’s feelings. Say, for example, a male friend asks me: “How does this new shirt look?” I have a lot of options. I could honestly say: “Other than it’s three sizes too small, I think it looks great.” Or “I hate the pattern and it clashes with everything else you’re wearing.” Both of those may be true, but is there a more delicate way to respond?

That’s when we’re tempted to use the “white lie.” A “white lie” is a lie that’s couched in terms that we hope will be acceptable to the hearer. Using the above example, we could say: “Wow! That shirt looks great on you!” Or “It matches your pants perfectly.” But are we telling the truth?

Remember, we’re Christ’s Ambassadors, so honesty is the best policy. But how do you answer honestly without blowing your cover when you really don’t have a positive opinion? As a rule, I don’t struggle with what to say when my wife asks me about something she wears or cooks, etc. It’s easy to compliment her because we’ve been together a long time and we love each other. If I don’t like something I can tell her, but I need to explain why.

The plot thickens when it’s someone we don’t know well, a “first date” kind of thing. The safest way to avoid misunderstanding is to not comment unless asked directly to do so. But if she asks: “I tried this new eye liner, what do you think?” It’s probably not going to fly if you say: “I’d rather not say.” Busted! But even if you don’t like it, you can say something like: “I think it brings out the color of your eyes and I love your eyes.”

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m not all that good at this, but what I am really trying hard to be good at is finding ways to sincerely compliment someone whom I’m just meeting. They’re not likely to ask an awkward question, but if we’re proactive in affirming them in some way, it can go a long way in getting the relationship off to a good start.

What we must do well is exhibit the character of Christ through how we speak, not only the words we use, but our body language, especially to those we love the most.

In a recent Family Life devotional Janel Breitenstein said:“Rather than handing out half-truths like lollipops and calling it grace, honesty is actually an opening for true grace to pry its way in. As my husband and I speak accurately and humbly to each other, the culture in our marriage is changing. We are less defensive, less sensitive. This kind of culture says, ‘When we’re honest, this is what we are: both made in the image of God, and totally broken.’”

The bottom line for me is this – I want to be as honest with others as Jesus has been honest with me. It didn’t make me feel particularly good to be called a sinner in dire need of a Savior (not His exact words 😊), but it got my attention and ultimately led to my desire to walk with Him. His intention wasn’t to offend me. His desire was to love me. That’s what I want to do, but I don’t believe lying is the best way to accomplish it.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Rejoicing When Times Are Hard

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT)

There have been seasons in my life when things seemed barren. One of the hardest weeks of my life was shortly after my divorce. I was in a new commission only job and my check for two weeks was just under $20. I missed some meals and got lots of eviction notices in that season, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

While we’re generally reluctant to ask for difficult times, they’re very often God’s tools to shape us for His future service. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:4: “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

Some of the most rewarding moments in my life have been when I was able to secretly slip someone some money and say with genuine empathy: “I know what you’re feeling. I’ve been there.” Those are some of those “Ah hah!” moments when the Lord whispers: “Now aren’t you glad I let you go through that rough patch?”

I’m not going to lie, it’s not easy to rejoice in difficult times, but something the Lord is teaching me is that while I’m not required to love the difficult circumstance, I do need to always love Him. He is the reason for my rejoicing, not necessarily my immediate circumstance.

James writes I 1:2: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” I’ve learned to look for God’s fingerprints on my circumstances. What does that mean? There were times when I had no money and God would send someone to take me to lunch or shake my hand and give me $10 or $20. In times of great loneliness someone would become the arms of Jesus as they held me and let me cry.

God is good all the time! Whatever you’re having to deal with in this season of your life – don’t waste it! There’s always someone who is worse off than you. If you can still read these words, you’re blessed! If you have family, you’re blessed! If you have a job, you’re blessed! If you can speak, taste, touch, and smell, you’re blessed! The list is virtually endless of things for which we can give thanks regardless of our circumstances.

One suggestion. Rather than sit around bemoaning the fact you have problems, and please hear me, I know some who read these words have serious issues with which they must wrestle. But if only for a moment, focus on someone the Lord will bring to your mind, who could really use a call or note from you. Be the source of joy for someone else and I guarantee you the Lord will bless you for your kindness and thoughtfulness. You might be surprised at how encouraging the person you reach out to can be for you.

A loud thunderstorm was raging one night, and a mother rushed upstairs to check on her young son, as she suspected he would be frightened. But as she opened his door, he was sitting on the windowsill shouting with each boom of thunder: “Bang it again God! Bang it again!

Regardless of how bad things get, you’re never alone. NEVER!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Avoiding Infection

“For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes – so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and let Me heal them.” (Matthew 13:15 – Jesus quoting Isaiah 6:9-10)

In a recent devotional article I read, Carlos Santiago was talking about a surgery he’d had and how the doctor explained that a single wayward bacteria could feed on his body and wreak havoc and how crucial clean bandages would be to keep any hint of them away from his wound.

He connected that to the Apostle Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:3 when he wrote: “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.”

It’s ironic that we’re so careful to wear masks to protect ourselves from germs but pay little attention to the things we watch on TV or listen to. Our eyes and ears are windows to our soul that must be guarded as well. We take careful steps to guard against infection in our body, while opening the avenues of our mind to infection in our soul.

Carlos wrote: “Most of us are a lot more careful about our outward actions than our inward thoughts. But Jesus said, ‘… everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).’”

I’ve heard people say things like: “It’s okay to look at the menu as long as you don’t order anything.” Or “It doesn’t matter where you get your appetite as long as you eat at home.” Those are lies of Satan. It DOES matter if you look at a woman who is not your wife and ponder desire for her. It DOES matter if lust for another person is fueling your desire for your spouse.

Inappropriate sexual behavior has infected whole generations with poisonous lies that have ruined marriages and shattered families. Paul continues in verses 4-5: “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

“Yeh,” you may retort, “but I’m saved. God will forgive me when I sin.” Yes, and no! If you’re a brand-new believer and are working towards eliminating these behaviors, yes, by all means, keep running back to the Cross and find forgiveness. But if you’ve said a prayer asking for forgiveness but have ignored all avenues of growth as a person of God, that’s a clear indication that God’s Spirit doesn’t reside in you, thus showing you aren’t walking with the Lord. If your walk doesn’t match your talk, you’re walking on a very precarious pathway.

Grace doesn’t overlook habitual sin from which I have no intention of turning. We are ambassadors of Christ, commissioned to carry the Good News of salvation to the people in our spheres of influence. But if our lifestyle is no different from the ones we’re seeking to reach, what are we calling them to? “Hey, come to Christ. He’ll forgive you, but you can continue to live any way you want.”

Paul wrote later in chapter 5:15-17: “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

When sin is infecting our heart and mind, we have no recourse but to give illustration to our sin-sickness in and through the way we live. If this is where you find yourself, seek out a godly person to walk with you if you genuinely desire to walk with Jesus. He will forgive you and fill you with His Spirit as you determine to allow Him to redirect your life.

And, yes, of course, it won’t be you doing the changing, but His power within you. But the point is – you change as you become a new person in Christ! You don’t stay the same.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Have You Let Jesus Change Your “Want to?”

“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.” (Philippians 3:21 NLT)

Our progress in conforming to the likeness of Jesus is in direct proportion to our willingness to obey His commands. Ultimately, our goal is to allow Jesus to own us and control, not only our behavior – what we do – but our mind – how we think!

Yes, I get it. That’s really scary to think about and can be a big turn off to those who have yet to yield their life and allegiance to Jesus. Our minds flash back to a “Jim Jones” kind of cult where people become mesmerized by a charismatic person who demands things of them, they may not like, but allow due to the pressure of others.

That’s a complete 180 to what Jesus is asking of us. Obedience to anyone will never be helpful if it’s done with an attitude that “I have to.” Jesus doesn’t desire us to be His “robots,” that when properly “programmed” become compliant with His every wish. Obedience in and of itself is never the desired end, love is.

Our church family has a saying regarding giving that I find appealing and affirming. They say: “We don’t give because we have to. We give because we get to.” I believe that’s an attitude I want to adopt for every area of my life as it pertains to my obedience to Jesus.

When we begin to understand that Jesus isn’t out to “get us,” rather He’s out to “love us,” the whole complexion of our life and living can be drastically changed for the better. Obedience to the commands of our Lord isn’t designed to force conformity, but to move us in the needed direction of desired conformity. What’s the difference?

It’s the difference between cults and Christianity. Cults force obedience to maximize the power of the leader. Christianity allows obedience to maximize the potential our Leader has died to give us. We don’t obey for Jesus’ benefit. We obey for our benefit. The more submissive we become in the capable hands of our Savior, the more fulfilled we are in living the life we were designed to live.

God’s desire isn’t to choke the life out of us, rather He desires to infuse us with His life-giving Presence in the Person of His Holy Spirit. The sooner our “have to” becomes our “want to,” the greater measure of contentment and enjoyment we’ll have in our walk with Jesus.

On some levels our walk with the Lord is much like our walk with our spouse. Men and women are very different in a lot of ways, but as we begin to allow our differences to complement our relationship, the happier and more satisfied we become.

For example, men tend to be more physically strong than women, thus, better fitted for things like doing yard work or working on the car. While women tend to enjoy cooking, decorating, etc. However, those aren’t the only factors to consider. What if my wife is a mechanic and loves fixing cars, or I’m a chef, and a whiz in the kitchen? What’s my point?

God has uniquely designed and gifted us to complement one another. So, the roles we play in marriage and in the Body of Christ aren’t determined by expected roles, but by what we enjoy doing. That’s the beauty of submission to Christ’s authority in our lives. He doesn’t “pigeonhole” us, He allows us to discover the ways in which we can most significantly and appropriately respond to His love for us by allowing us to function in a role that isn’t a burden, but a delight.

That whole process begins to come together when we allow the Lord to change our “have to,” to our “want to.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Purifying Power of Prayer

“Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.” (James 5:15 NLT)

In the last church I served something that elicited the greatest positive response was our time of prayer on Sunday morning. As James 5:13 instructs, we invited people with all kinds of issues, not just for physical healing, to come forward and be anointed with oil and prayed over.

These were precious moments as we prayed and wept together, seeking a touch from God. The tradition in which I pastored wasn’t very emotional as a rule, but when God showed up, inhibitions were set aside, and people felt free to cry or hug one another. A lot of healing occurred in those moments on many levels.

There were some very godly people in that little church, so when they sang or prayed or spoke, God was liberated to do what He pleased, which often brought people’s needs to the surface. It wasn’t simply a display of emotion, though emotion was sometimes involved. It was more an effort to allow the Lord to do what only He could do, in terms of illuminating things in us that needed attention.

James MacDonald wrote: “Prayer is purifying – as you pray, you learn to want not just right things, but right things for right reasons.”

That is true on an individual level as well as in a corporate environment. Often in the church we do the right things, but for the wrong reasons. We preach, sing, pray, serve, and on and on, filling roles with an empty heart, that leaves us drained and God deeply saddened.

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Too often, like with so many other areas of our lives, we do things for God that are a means of checking off our proverbial “boxes,” hoping somehow God will be honored and others will be helped. Sadly, because our heart’s not in it, little of eternal value is accomplished. If we pray, too often prayer becomes an obligation we fulfill, not a conversation we cherish through which we grow closer to our Father.

We’re all about doing what’s right but derive less and less pleasure and satisfaction. Sitting before the Lord, allowing Him to search our hearts, giving Him permission to point out areas where we’re lacking, can be healing.

Prayer is not a solitary event, it’s a partnership between us and God that when approached with a contrite spirit can result in the release of the Holy Spirit’s purifying power that will touch our souls, healing us in ways nothing else can.

The root of every effective prayer is faith. The foundation upon which prayer is built is absolute trust in the One to whom we pray. If we don’t believe He will hear and respond, why waste our time? But if we speak to our Father in heaven as a loving child speaks to their caring parent, He will withhold no good thing from us. He may not answer like we desired, but will bring good that will bless us more than if He had.

My most effective seasons of prayer, those times when I sensed God’s presence with me most powerfully, and was able to trust Him without reservation, were those times I sensed my own brokenness, thus, my greatest times of personal need. We don’t need to approach God from a position of power and authority. We derive those things from Him.

He just invites His kids to come to Him with all concerns, knowing He will hear, that He cares, and that He will give us exactly what we need in exactly the way we need it. Then we’ll not be so focused on ourselves and will finally be able to do what is right, for the right reasons, because the purifying presence of our loving Savior will be our guide.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Value of Prayer

“You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:22 NLT)

Have you ever prayed earnestly and in line with what you believed to be God’s will, yet it wasn’t answered like you desired? I certainly have. I begged God to save my marriage. God hates divorce and marriage is His plan, so why wouldn’t He answer? He did. He said “no.” But why?

For months I prayed for my parent’s salvation, and God answered that prayer. Both were saved and baptized and began faithfully walking with the Lord. What was different? Why was one prayer answered, but not the other?

Would it throw you too much of a “curve ball” to tell you the value of prayer isn’t found in the answer? The purpose and highest value of prayer is the development of a deep and abiding relationship with God, not to get answers.

When you were growing up, did your parents give you everything for which you asked? Maybe yours did, but mine didn’t. Why not? Largely because what I would sometimes ask for was to feed my selfishness and greed. My parents were very generous. I was the youngest of three children and my parents would make sure we had what we needed even if it meant they had to do without something they needed.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Notice He said: “above all else,” not “in place of all else.” What’s the difference? Above all else denotes top priority, not exclusivity. We have other things – family, job, hobbies, etc. – that have their place, they just can’t be our top priority.

Jesus promised that if we would give Him the top spot in our priorities, He would give us everything we need to be everything He desires us to be. What’s the implication? He takes care of those who give Him first place in their heart and life. He doesn’t promise to cater to our every whim.

So, back to the value of prayer. When God says no, it doesn’t mean He’s withholding something from us that we need, it simply means He IS the answer we NEED!

After my divorce, sobbing as I knelt by my bed, I poured out my heart detailing to God all I’d lost, which in my calculation was EVERYTHING! He didn’t speak in an audible voice, but just as clearly as if He had, He said to me: “You haven’t lost Me and I’m all you need!” Prayer is our limited endeavor to allow God to remain in the top spot of our heart and life.

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked His Father to spare Him the agony of the Cross. On some levels essentially what He was asking was: “Let the world go to Hell, but let Me come back to You and bypass the Cross.” That’s what was implicit in Jesus’ request to “let this cup pass from Me.” And that’s clearly what the Bible says.

What’s also clear to me, but not explicitly stated in Scripture is what I believe the Father would have said had Jesus not added: “Nevertheless, not My will but Yours.” Jesus WAS God’s heart! Had Jesus’ desire been to avoid the Cross, I believe the Father would have said in a very loud, booming voice – “DONE!” – and the fate of every human being would have been sealed. That’s the eternal value of prayer.

Jesus wasn’t concerned about anything else but pleasing His Father and carrying out His will. He was privileged to know His Father’s will. We don’t always have that privilege. That’s where trust comes in. When God says “no,” I have to conclude that He sees and knows much more clearly than I do, so I yield my will to His and with Jesus say: “Nevertheless, not My will but Yours.”

When prayer becomes the heart-line between us and God; when prayer is not simply the rubbing of our proverbial “Jesus-lamp;” when prayer is the longing of our heart to not only know, but do, God’s will, then we’ll begin to see the eternal value of prayer, whether His answer is “yes” or “no.”

Blessings, Ed 😊