Category Archives: Prayer

Encouragement, Issues of the Day, Prayer

1953 and Our National Day of Prayer

images-5The National day of Prayer was originally designated on July 4, 1953 as a day of prayer and penance. However the man who instituted this day spent July 4, 1953 fishing, golfing and playing bridge. During the 1950’s, church attendance was at an all-time high in America and most best-selling books were religious ones. Crime rates were low and divorce was rare. Unemployment was low and the nation was prospering. Prior to the turmoil of the decade to come, the nation had a confidence in God.

images-8Who was this all-important and influential man who designated such an important annual day of reflection for America? It was Dwight D.Eisenhower. Dwight was named after the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Dwight Eisenhower’s parents were devout members of a German Mennonite group called the River Brethren. The River Brethren were known for their pacifism and certainly did not condone drinking alcohol, smoking or playing cards, of which Dwight eventually did all three. General Eisenhower grew up in a home that was dedicated to teaching him the Bible and he could quote many passages at length. Today he is hailed as one of the greatest US military generals.

images-7Was this two-term President a hypocrite or did he believe that America had a duty to acknowledge God? Was he fallen away from his personal relationship with Christ or was he being used by and obeying Christ for such an important season of America’s history? “…Listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life…” (Proverbs 4:20-22)

Standard
Encouragement, In the news, Issues of the Day, Leadership, Prayer

Going to the Polls and Electing a New President

imagesIt has been on my heart to address something going on particularly in America right now, but I also know there are some similarities around the world when it comes to elections.

We are in the middle of a political year here in America and the world is watching.  Recently while in another country, I heard a businessperson say publicly, “God help us all if Donald Trump becomes the next US president.”  I understand the comment, but I am challenged by the attitude and the attitude of so many (including myself at times).  I receive a lot of Facebook posts from leaders and at times I am horrified by some of them.  I am not angry at what I see and read as much as I am grieved.  I feel that we as Christians are simply adding to the problem of creating a greater level of disunity and anxiety among our family and the world around us.  While we desire to spread truth, we must be careful that we are not at the same time wounding others in the process and spreading fear.

A statement that I recently read in Shawn Bolz’s new book, Translating God, challenged me.  This one statement jumped out at me in light of how I perceive some (including myself) dealing with the political differences and climate around us.  Shawn wrote, “We will have no authority over that which we do not love.”  In other words, if I had the opportunity to speak to our president would I speak what I have posted in FB or forwarded in a negative email?  If I had opportunity to share with him would he know my love for him, my prayers for him or just my oppositions?  If we do not love, we will certainly miss out on possible assignments from our Father.

I long for authority in the Spirit to pray for our leaders, but at the same time struggle with their agenda and their damaging decisions.  I can’t reconcile a Christian voting for an extremely pro-abortion candidate, but I know they do.  I may never understand it, but can I walk in unity with that person?  Let me share a few verses that I would like you to read and consider sharing with others as the Lord leads you in light of this subject.

(See:  I Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 2:1-4; Ephesians 4:1-4; Colossians 3:12-14; Romans 15:5-7; and John 17:21-23.)images-7

Then in John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world…”  Our kingdom is NOT of this world.  We walk in this world of politics, dissension, disagreement and disunity, but we are to be unified as believers because our kingdom is not of this world!  Yes, we need to vote, discern, discuss and be clear from the pulpit on godly values when it comes to voting, but at the end of the day we are not to lose our unity with one another in building the kingdom of God, especially as we may vote differently.

I continually think of Daniel in light of this topic.  A godly leader who stood to pray for, work with and eat with a very ungodly, secular government and system.  While he did not compromise, his love must have continually come through. Daniel, “…resolved not to defile himself.”  He received knowledge and understanding through the literature of the culture he was thrust into.  He continually spoke with, “…wisdom and tact.”  As God’s politician they could not find any corruption in him.  The reason for his favor?  Daniel 6: 23 says that he trusted in his God. There was no vote. Daniel was not voted into office, God placed him there.

We share from the pulpit on godly values when it comes to voting, but at the end of the day we are not to lose our unity with one another in building the kingdom of God.  Recently I heard someone say, “Don’t be deceived to believe that man’s view is always God’s view or that man’s thoughts are God’s thoughts.”

Do you remember the argument in Romans 14 over food, what was clean and what was unclean and then who was weak and who was strong?  The whole chapter was about how to treat the weaker in the faith and in the end the writer inspired by God says, “So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”  That’s something to think these days…

Jesus and the disciples faced this very thing on a daily basis and then gave their lives, not in opposition of their government but in standing for a kingdom that was not of this world system.  Yes, I realize that some wanted Jesus to set up His kingdom on earth at that time, but that was never God’s goal for His Son. Rather, it was to reach the cross and bring to us the ultimate form of freedom.

Paul stood before the government leaders of his day and it was his own Jewish people who insisted on that same government ending Paul’s life.

The message of the kingdom of God is not full of political judgement, issues and division, it’s a message of the heart for the heart.  God’s kingdom is a reconciling kingdom.  It’s a message of the unifying love of Christ.

So, let’s pray for our next president as believers united in Christ so that we can work together to see His kingdom come with a sense of unity. Let us unite in the need of a leader who stands from a position of integrity, high moral character, experience, truth and one who loves this nation and desires to see it prosper in order to serve other nations. However, let us also realize no politician can save us, only one Name can do that.images-6

And please be reminded of whose side you are on and it’s not liberal or conservative. I have literally been trying to remind myself through these thoughts, “Jesus loves you, this I know even if I disagree with everything you stand for…Jesus loves you and I need to love you as well.”  Help us, Father, to love so that we might be known by our love.  And as we stand for our beliefs, values and convictions may we work toward unity of the Spirit of Christ.

Standard
Issues of the Day, Marriage, Prayer, Premarital

Money, Values and Major Marriage Differences

images-6Mary was a “spender” and I was a “tight wad.” At least those were our thoughts and to be honest, sometimes our spoken words. If Mary had cash, there was something to purchase. If there was money left over at the end of the month, I thought it was there for only one reason, to save. This is how we operated for years into marriage until one day we discovered a morsel of revelation.

What if we could combine these two areas and have them actually become our strength in marriage rather than a point of contention? Mary is simply great at finding deals and I love to make sure we can save for future purchases of assets. It could be a win/win if we could just get it worked out. Not everything we need to purchase is an asset and Mary loved that form of shopping, e.g., kids cloths, groceries, gifts and home furnishings. I loved to pay extra on our home mortgage and save cash to purchase out next car rather than securing a loan.images-8

Here is the revelation that we discovered and it may serve you also. Mary was more of a “giver” than simply a spender. She seemed to always see the needs of others and wanted to invest a gift or help with a need. On the other hand, I was not being a tight wad as much as I was attempting to “invest” in our future. It wasn’t saving for savings sake, but rather growing our financial wealth. We needed both of these areas united and rather than fighting and arguing we would pray and agree for the purchase of both necessary liabilities and assets.

Standard
Encouragement, Issues of the Day, Prayer

Neglecting the Things that Matter

images-2What might happen if you neglect the important things in life? What if you neglected the maintenance on your car? It just might leave you sitting somewhere unplanned. What if you neglected your health? Eventually, your body begins to break down if the mistreatment is severe enough. Or, what happens if you move into your new home and never repair or update a thing? The neglect will eventually cost you in the devaluation of your property or even costlier repairs. If you neglect your job, you will literally be working toward termination. Neglect your family and relationship issues will grow.images-3

Why then do we feel it’s sometimes ok to neglect our spiritual lives? Could a very similar breakdown occur? When we neglect reading the Bible, our prayer life, sharing the love of God with others, giving of our resources and finances, fellowship with other believers or the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has deposited within each of us, eventually that disregard or inattention can create a permanent or severe atrophy spiritually. No wonder Jesus warned the Pharisees and us that giving a tenth was good but not to “neglect” the love of God and justice. The Psalmist declared, “I will not neglect your word” and Paul told Timothy to not neglect the gifts given to him. Neglect can be a spiritual disease that each of us battle.

Standard
Children, Marriage, Parents, Prayer

Growing in Values and Co-vision as a Couple

images-15Mary and I were in our first year of marriage and I don’t think either of us had a huge burden for un-churched or underprivileged children. One day our pastor asked if we would like to start a bus ministry. Once he defined it for us and we received training, we were sold as to its value. Reaching a child had the potential of changing a life forever, not to mention touching a family.

After filling several buses with some amazing but wild city kids, we fell in love with the whole ministry. Their needs were huge but they were being touched through an excellent children’s program coupled with our love as we also visited them every Saturday morning. It didn’t take long until we figured out how valuable children are to our heavenly Father, and from the vision of another, our hearts were hooked. We went on to eight years of missionary work with adjudicated delinquent teenage males and then several years of social work in foster care. As our heart grew, we found ourselves developing a deep value for reaching children, teens and their families.images-13

How about you, have you discovered your heart being enlarged by the Lord for some form of ministry only to have it become a deep value for you as a couple? If not, ask Him to show you His co-vision for the two of you.

Standard
Encouragement, Prayer

An Amazing Circuit Rider and a Nation Called America

images-19Francis Asbury preached more than sixteen thousand messages before he died in March of 1816. At about the time of the American Revolution, there were approximately 5,000 Methodists churches and Asbury, an Englishman who never married, had a direct effect upon changing that figure. This circuit rider who is said to have traveled over 300,000 miles on horseback was out to grow the church. By the end of his life there were 200,000 Methodist churches all across America. Asbury slept in barns and wood sheds, was ill much of his life, dealt with depression and doubt, but he took seriously the task God had assigned him.

Father, may Your kingdom come and may Your will be done in this great nation called America. On this National Day of Prayer we remember men like Francis Asbury who gave their lives for Your gospel of freedom to come and to change lives. May we continue to fight the fight, preach the gospel and see souls made new. We ask You for miracles, signs and wonders to follow the teaching of Your word and we humbly ask for a spirit of repentance to come and a great awakening to follow. In Jesus’ name.

Standard
Marriage, Postmarital, Prayer

Seven Secrets to Save Your Marriage

  1. images-9Keep dating. Just because you have said, “I do” does not mean the dating scene for you as a couple is over. Keep the fire lit by spending time alone doing what the two of you love to do together. Continue having fun!
  2. Get a weekend away. Once a quarter or at the very least, twice a year take a weekend away together. Travel a short distance and get away from your home, the kids and your local environment by staying at a hotel or a bed and breakfast. It will help the two of you to get back to the two of you.
  3. Drink coffee. A pastor friend of mine once told me, “Coffee saved our marriage.” Wondering what on earth he meant he went on to explain that taking time together over coffee to simply listen to one another was a marriage lifesaver. Their short coffee dates provoked the kind of communication and connection they needed.images-10
  4. Stay sexual. Do not allow busyness, children, jobs or ministry to steal intimacy from you. Stay sexually connected because it is unhealthy to do otherwise. If you need to, make a schedule for sex and agree to frequency. A schedule will actually bring freedom to both of you. Why not, you schedule everything else in life. (I Cor. 7:3,4)
  5. Pray together. In our book, Called Together, we state that the most intimate thing you can be involved in with another human being is to pray together. When we pray, really pray, we reveal our hearts to each other. To reveal our heart to God and one another on a regular basis is to remain spiritually connected. Nothing says oneness like prayer together. (Matthew 18:19)
  6. Praise in public; construct in private. Speak words of life and affirmation to your spouse, especially when in public. Let the world around you know that this person is the one (the only one) and that you are madly in love with him/her. When we have constructive words to share keep them full of grace while maintaining a position of humility, always speaking them in private.images-11 copy
  7. Respect one another. Disrespect is rampant in our culture and it’s unattractive and ungodly. To show respect is literally to show honor and who on this earth does not want to feel honor, especially from the one they love?

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife [spouse] of your youth. (Proverbs 5:18)

Standard
Encouragement, Leadership, Prayer, Training

The Value of a Sabbatical

images-3Taking a sabbatical is not a new concept. The word Sabbath taken from the Old Testament of the Bible simply means rest. It seems that God understood the concept of cessation and not just for man, but He also included the fields and the animals. (See Leviticus 25:3-4 and Exodus 23:12) Rest is something we are all familiar with, but an extended period of rest (beyond the typical one week to ten-day vacation) to most is thought to be somewhat unreasonable. Cindy Kirschner Goodman in her McClatchy Tribune article on sabbaticals said that, “Among the Fortune 100 Best Places to Work, 22 companies boast of offering fully paid sabbaticals.” She went on to write, “Companies find if they don’t do something, their workers will burn out and leave, or worse burn out and stay.”

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength… It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.” In my lifetime I have had the privilege of experiencing three sabbatical periods. Each one was unique within itself, but without fail God spoke to me significantly. There is something about detaching and refocusing that allows one to be sharper in the spirit and allows for growth. Perhaps the secret is that a sabbatical is not an extended vacation or a time to pursue a degree, but it is a time set aside for prayer, reflection, listening, and counsel for a healthier future. On that note, I just finished a book titled, The Value of a Sabbatical, Refocusing Your Life for a Healthy Future and I am totally excited about helping others through God’s concept of a Sabbath rest.

Standard
Encouragement, Prayer

That Quiet, But Clear Inner Voice

images-2Nicky road dirt bike and so did I. One weekend I found myself with little to do and a very clear voice inside of me saying, “Call Nicky and ask him if he wants to go riding.” I hardly knew the kid; he was my mechanics son. I might have only ever exchanged a few brief paragraphs with him, but still that inner nudge was present. Why would he ride with me I questioned? I dismissed the thought as a bit far-fetched, maybe even ridiculous and went off riding in the beautiful Pennsylvania mountains by myself.

Monday morning came with some very disturbing news that I will never forget. Nicky was driving home late Sunday night after a date with his girlfriend. It was a cold and slippery fall night to drive back up the dark mountainside. Nicky was driving too fast for conditions, rolled his truck down the side of the mountain and was thrown from the vehicle. I know I missed an opportunity that God was attempting to give to me and I have regretted it ever since.

At Nicky’s funeral I asked God’s forgiveness… and, I apologized to Nicky.

Standard
Encouragement, Prayer

Listening to God, What’s the Potential II

Did you know that the invention of the colored paper clip made far more money than the plain old metal one? It is the improvement on an existing invention that seems to have a larger impact. The bow has been around for many centuries. In more recent years, we have seen a huge improvement on the speed an arrow can travel through the use of the compound bow. Still even more recent was the invention of the solo-cam compound bow. The inventor, Matt McPherson, first started producing this bow in 1992. It was the only bow with a single-cam technology. Matt, of the Mathews Bow Company states, “I can truly say that I have seen the hand of God in everything that has happened in our business…somehow, God has given me the gift to see the finished product in my mind and avoid a lot of steps in between.”images

In listening to God, Matt states that he received a “heavenly download” for an invention. Once again, that invention was an improvement on something that already exists. These persons did not settle for, “It’s good enough as it is.” They saw a greater potential. Of course it comes with risk, but isn’t that true of the important things in life? I Kings four verses 29-34 describe the wisdom of Solomon as “measureless as the sand on the seashore.” It says that he was wiser than any other man and his fame spread to all surrounding nations. He spoke 3,000 Proverbs and wrote over 1,000 songs. He described plant life and taught about animals, birds, reptiles and fish. All the kings of the world knew of Solomon’s wisdom. Where did he receive that wisdom? Verse one states, “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight…” Are you believing for greater insight and understanding? Ask God, there just might be a heavenly download awaiting you.

Standard