MIDNIGHT PRAYER TROOPS

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 15, 2022

Jesus loved Martha and her sister [Mary] and Lazarus.

John 11:5
No doubt they made up a very ordinary family. Like most families, there were certain differences among the members.

Mary, it seems, was the most heavenly minded of the three. She, after all, was the one who sat at the feet of Christ and anointed his feet with costly perfume, even wiping them dry with her hair.

She hung on the Lord’s every word, weighing all the things he said.

Martha had her own way of trying to please her Lord. Making the house tidy, scurrying to get things in order, running to do the shopping, racing to prepare the meals.

And although she was distracted and anxious about all her busy serving, she probably assumed this was the best course of action.

Yes, the family members had their differences. Lazarus may have had some serious physical problems. Martha was gently chided by the Lord for allowing the details of homemaking and hospitality to divert her from fellowship with him.

Meditative Mary, on the other hand, received the Lord’s commendation. She, said Jesus, had chosen what was better (see Luke 10:38-42).

Yet John 11:5 tells us that Jesus loved them all. Our Lord sought intimacy with each one of them.

That’s good news. Not only to those who are strong, but also to the weaker members of the family of faith. Perhaps you fall into the latter group.

“Me? I’m not great saint. I’m not a Paul or John, and I’m certainly not a Mary. I have a hard time getting into the Bible.

I can’t pray out loud. I don’t seem to understand spiritual things the way others do. I guess I’m kind of feeble in my Christian life—and sometimes I wonder if Jesus really cares for me as much as he does for those who have it all put together.”

If you see yourself like that—as a Martha, perhaps—take heart. For just as a mother loves all of her children, even the weak and less gifted, so Christ cares for those who are weak in the faith…who wrestle with heavy burdens and temptations…who struggle with nagging doubts and fears…who find themselves distracted from their walk with God by the everyday pressures.

What an encouragement to remember that he loves us all!

If, on the other hand, you’re one of the Mary’s, a real pillar of faith, please remember the counsel of Romans 14:1, to “Accept him whose faith is weak.”

So many of us don’t. We’re quick to judge and criticize those who are groping or slipping and can’t seem to make the pieces fit. Few of us are willing to humble ourselves to help those who are weak in faith.

You might be a real Mary—memorizing your third chapter in the book of James, leading a Bible study, and waking up at 5:30 every morning for daily devotions.

Then again, you might be Ms. Martha—collapsing in bed after a busy day, apologetically mumbling your evening prayers as you sink into sleep.

Whichever you are, and however you fit into the family—strong or weak or somewhere in between—please know that Jesus loves you. He’s reserved a special spot at his feet with your name on it.

He’s ready for a more intimate relationship with you…whenever you are.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 14, 2022

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51:1-2

When I was a little girl, I remember secretly opening a small chest that belonged to my mother and taking out her diary. I don’t remember if I was even old enough to read—and certainly didn’t learn anything shocking about my mom.

But I do remember that panicky sense of excitement as I hid behind the living room piano and delicately turned each page as though it were forbidden treasure.

After finishing, I carefully placed the diary back into the chest, situating it just so. I went out to play, the whole time thinking about what I had done—and feeling worse and worse about seeing her at dinnertime.

Mom rang the dinner bell at the back door and we kids came running. I busily filled the supper table with a lot of anxious chatter, trying hard to act normal.

Finally Mom asked what the matter was. And do you know something? I couldn’t look her in the face. She’d catch my eyes for a moment and then I’d quickly look down at my plate.

Guilt prevented me from looking straight at my mother and answering her questions.

That little story is repeated in the lives of thousands of children and millions of adults.

Looking one another straight in the eyes has always been a test of truthfulness.

God knows that.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, he says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

How I love that verse. But especially the part about seeking God’s face. Just as I had to make things right with my mom before I could have eye-to eye contact with her, I have learned that God wants me to seek his face in the same way.

He desires to have eye-to-eye contact with me—transparent, truthful, lacking any guilt, guile, or sin. But that means confession sin—my responsibility. No use filling my prayers with a lot of anxious chatter, trying to fake it with the Lord or lie to myself.

If you have a hard time gazing straight into the face of the Lord today, then you know you’ve got some confessing to do. God wants you to seek his face. There’s nothing like eye-to-eye contact with our loving Father.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 13, 2022

Before we go into today’s Devotional, I want us to dive into this shot message below;

Preference for Jesus

As I smile in my wheelchair, there are some who think I look at life through rose-colored glasses, they do, like it’s a fake smile. Well listen, in no way am I a Pollyanna. Life in a wheelchair is hard.

I just choose to see my suffering as a rigorous, robust daily preference for Jesus. Far from being fake, my smile is lived out; it is birthed from fist-fighting hard choices I constantly make every single day, fixing my eyes on Jesus, even when his image is blurred by my pain.

I’m no Pollyanna. I pack a punch, and beat my will into submission. Whether I feel like it or not, I’m going to show Jesus that I prefer him, I choose him, I desire him, and I want him above complaining.

Look, your every earthly challenge, every headache, heartache, problem, and pain is a chance to show Jesus how much you prefer him over anything else. Yeah, it’s hard. But it sure makes you fall in love with him all the more.

Now, to today’s message. God’s Character.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:13 (ESV)
When I was emerging from my depression over being paralyzed, I uncovered a promise in the Bible about God’s faithfulness.

Philippians 1:6 told me to be confident, in fact, of this one thing: That he who had begun a good work in me would carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

You have to put that promise in the context of my life at that time. For the first time since my accident, I was trying to peer into my future. Yet it seemed as though a thick, black curtain hung just inches in front of my face. The appalling reality of a lifetime of paralysis was almost more than I could bear. My faith seemed paralyzed, too. It was hard to imagine how anything good would come out of it—ever. I was convinced I would never smile again.

But then I came across Philippians 1:6.

Like a drowning woman clutching a life preserver, I immediately grabbed hold of the faithfulness of God. I took hold of his tenderness and mercy. I quoted the verse to the Lord, asking him to fulfill his promise of completing a good—yes, a very good—work in my life.

And do you know what? I found peace. I was confident that God, in his faithfulness, would hold himself to his promise.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “You and I may take hold at anytime upon the justice, mercy, faithfulness, wisdom, longsuffering, [or] tenderness of God, and we shall find every attribute of the Most High to be, as it were, a great battering ram with which we may open the gates of heaven.”

Obviously Spurgeon wasn’t talking about “nukeing” the gates of heaven to somehow overcome God’s reluctance or unwillingness. No, God is not an immovable meditating Mystic who has to be prodded to perform his will. Spurgeon isn’t talking about God that way. But I do think that it pleases God when we seek his glory, his will, even his character in a given situation in our lives.

Abraham, pleading with God to spare Sodom, reminded the Lord,

“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Genesis 18:25, NKJV
Did God need a reminder? “Oh, thanks, Abe. I’d completely forgotten that angle. Thanks for jogging My memory.” Obviously, God did not need a nudge to remember his justice. Yet he was delighted that Abraham sought heavenly justice on the merits of the heavenly Judge. Abraham pleaded his case from the platform of God’s character.

Habakkuk, too, appealed to God’s very nature in his prayer. It was a time of deep national distress in Judah. The ruthless Babylonian army was poised to sweep across the country like water from a ruptured dam. Yes, the prophet agreed with the Lord, Judah was deserving of his judgment. But how could God use a people even more evil than they as his rod of discipline?

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;

you cannot tolerate wrong.

Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?

Why are you silent while the wicked

swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Habakkuk 1:13

David pleaded God’s character again and again. Discouraged by his own sins and unfaithfulness, he cried out:

“Remember, O Lord, your mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord”

Psalm 25:6-7
Intimacy with God involves finding handholds and footholds in his character. Do you plead with him on the basis of who he is? Consider again his justice, his mercy, his faithfulness, his wisdom, his purity, his might, and his tenderness.

If you’re hurting or if you’re confused, find some attribute of your great God and grab onto it with all your might, asking him to deal with you accordingly. Humbly hold him to his promise. God is delighted when you seek his will, his character, his glory—and yes, his heart—in your prayers.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 12, 2022

I grew up in a little church where Sunday worship was serious business. Our church had kneelers so, when we confessed our sins together, we all got down on our knees. But after I broke my neck, all that changed.

Never again would I kneel. And I really miss it. It’s why I so look forward to heaven when I will finally rise on resurrected legs, and you know what’s the first thing I’m gonna do? Drop down on grateful, glorified knees. I’ll finally get a chance to kneel again at the feet of my Savior. My physical posture will be an outward expression of my worshipful heart.

Psalm 95 says, “Come, let us bow down and worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” So friend, whether you grew up kneeling in prayer or not, Psalm 95 is your invitation. Offer God today an outward expression of what’s in your heart, and feel free to kneel.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 11, 2022

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)
My computer has company this morning. But then, it has company every morning. A Bible rests on top of the CPU. A hymnal leans companionably against the monitor. A well-thumbed Book of Common Prayer lies within easy reach on a shelf above. On a lower shelf, flanking the keyboard, a book of Christian poetry props up against a volume on the name of Jesus.

These are tools that help me listen to God.

As in anyone’s day, I’m constantly shifting gears from one task to the next. But I dare not rush between jobs without pausing to thank God for what was just completed…and to ask him for guidance on what is to be done next.

That means pausing to listen. That means raising my spiritual antennae to discern his clear directional signal.

How do we do that here at the office? Maybe Francie and I will flip open a hymnal and harmonize on “My Faith Looks Up to Thee.” Or we’ll grab a co-worker on her way to the copy machine as she passes by the office door, and have her join us on a verse of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” We’ll take a minute to consider one of the names of Jesus. Counselor. Word of God. Bread of Life. Ancient of Days. Then maybe we’ll take a long sip of coffee, hold hands, and pray…which always includes keeping “ears tuned” to what the Lord thinks ought to be accomplished in the next task, whether it’s an article or a letter or part of a manuscript.

You might call it priming the pump. I call it listening to God. I listen for his voice. I wait. I take the time. And he has never failed to meet at that place of listening. He gives me instructions. Impressions. Convictions. Directions. Gentle rebukes. Affirmations. Whether I turn to the right or to the left, my ears hear a voice behind me, saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

Don’t turn back, he tells me. Don’t turn aside. Come straight ahead, and I will be with you.

It’s the same in my painting studio. I wheel into the room and the illustration board stares back at me. Big, blank, white, scary. It’s intimidating. It’s frightening. I sometimes feel suddenly weak, or dull, as if I could never come up with another idea as long as I live.

“Oh God,” I whisper, “help me! What do I do? What do you want me to do?”

And in the quietness of my little studio, I do very much the same as in front of my blank computer screen. I read some Scripture. Sing a hymn. Murmur a prayer. Listen to some classical music. Leaf through some big art books, letting my eyes linger on the works of the masters. Surround myself with color. And then…listen. I just listen for his voice. I wait to see where he wants me to begin, what he wants me to do.

I wheel back away from the easel, so I won’t be tempted to charge in and start throwing paint around prematurely. I let the room become very, very silent. And wait. And wait. Until I hear something. And then I say, “Yes, yes. Of course. That’s the way I want to begin. This is the way it should be.”

Waiting for God to speak can be stretching at times. In different places around the world, I have been backstage waiting for my introduction, and really not certain of what I was supposed to say. Days before my speaking engagement I ask him again and again, “What do you want me to communicate here? What do these people need to hear from you?” As the engagement draws near and he doesn’t tell me, it gets tense. And there have been times—an hour before I have to speak—in my hotel room, when I cry out to him, “But Lord, you haven’t told me yet what you want me to say.”

Yes, the answer comes. The words are there when I need them. But not always when I want them!

To listen in prayer is to mentally absorb divine instructions concerning the matters of the day. To listen—to find true intimacy with your God—is to not take the day in one fell swoop, but in hourly or even moment-by-moment increments. The day’s schedule which looked organized in the morning can, like a deck of cards, be shuffled by noon. Circumstances can shift. Plans can change. That’s why keeping your heart’s ear cocked hour by hour is so important.

Listening implies confidence that God truly desires to speak with us. Only as we learn to hear the voice of the Father can we learn to shut our ears to the voices of the world.

It’s always easy to hear our own voices, because we are basically selfish people. But it’s a matter of tuning—fine-tuning the ear of the heart—to discern God’s desires and intentions.

You cannot have intimacy with heaven apart from this firm determination to listen for God’s voice. It means, as Scripture says, inclining your ear to what he has to say, just as he inclines his ear to our prayers. I sometimes imagine a little girl pulling on her dad’s trouser leg. And that big man gets down on his knees and looks into his little daughter’s eyes, and says, “I’m listening. What is it, honey?” If that’s the way God listens to my voice, I want to hear every word that he has to say, too.

Our usual tendency is to march into prayer with our own agenda, assuming that whatever is on God’s heart will for certain match what’s on ours. To be honest, our tendency is not even to be concerned about his heart’s desire for our prayer time—hence, our lack of interest in listening.

We cover over his voice with a lot of noise and frenzy and motion. We hear the Holy Spirit speaking a quiet word to our heart, but then finish his sentence assuming we’ve caught his drift. Or receive his message but are too busy or too distracted to make sense of it. We tell ourselves we’ll go back and double-check it later, but by the time we get around to it, the moment is gone. The voice is silent. The opportunity is passed.

For many of us, prayer has become a one-sided, one-dimensional recitation of our needs and wants and thoughts. And yes, it’s true, he loves to hear us speak. But he also loves to speak in return.

That’s the way it is with intimate friends.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 10, 2022

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Psalm 103:13 (NIV)
Is God concerned about the details of your life? Does he care about the “little things”?

Maybe you’ve shaped words like those in your heart—if not on your lips—during the course of a busy day at home or the office. Piles of dishes need to be loaded. The washer leaks a big soapy puddle on the floor—and you’ve got guests coming in an hour. Your best friend seemed cold on the phone and you can’t figure out why.

Little things.

Nobody else seems to notice or pay that much mind…so why should God? After all, isn’t he the God of the big things? Isn’t he the One who spoke swirling galaxies into the vast frontiers of space. Isn’t he the One, as Isaiah wrote, who

Has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

And marked off the heavens with a span,

Enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure,

And weighed the mountains in scales,

And the hills in a balance?

40:12; ESV
Why should this great, awesome God notice the tears that come to my eyes this morning at breakfast—when no one else noticed? Why should the Creator of the universe care about the worries that kept me awake until 2:00 a.m.? Why should the mighty Sovereign of eternity be concerned about the fact that I’m late for an appointment and can’t find a parking place?

Sure, the Bible says he has compassion for his people. But isn’t that sort of a “general” compassion for mankind? Isn’t that an arms-length kind of compassion? Like a multi-millionaire might feel when he writes out a check for an anonymous poor child living on the other side of the world.

Just how intimately is God involved in our small, petty problems?

Again and again I go back to David’s words in Psalm 103:

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

v. 13; NIV
This verse gives us an idea just how and in what way God expresses his compassion for me. It isn’t the compassion of a distant king…or a distracted executive. The kind of compassion God has is the intimate, heartfelt compassion of a father.

I remember my father having that kind of compassion with me. Often when my dad would be busy at his easel, mixing oils and painting on his big canvas, I’d be sitting on the floor at his side with my crayons and coloring book—working just as hard as he was. And even though he was intent on his work, he’d look down at me and smile. And sometimes he’d set his brushes aside, reach down and lift me into his lap. Then he’d fix my hand on one of his brushes and enfold his larger, stronger hand around mine. Ever so gently, he would guide my hand and the brush, dipping it into the palette, mixing the burnt umbers and raw siennas and stroking the wet, shiny paint on the canvas before us.

And I would watch in amazement as, together, we made something beautiful.

I look back on that scene, even these many years later, and find myself warmed by the intimate, emotional compassion my father had for me.

This is the kind of love our God has for us! Father love. The kind, gentle compassion of a dad who deeply cares for his sons and daughters. Maybe you never had a dad like that, but you do have such a Father.

No, God is not so preoccupied with the running of his big universe that your problems and concerns—even the little ones—somehow escape his notice. The Lord Jesus assured us that “every hair of your head is numbered.” So if your problems today are piling so high that you feel ready to stumble beneath the weight of them, stop and take Peter’s good advice to

“cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7; NIV
Let God’s big hand close gently over yours. With his help, even the discouraging crayon scribbles of your life can become a masterpiece.

Nothing would delight a father’s heart more.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 9, 2022

“…they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.”

Mark 6:56 (KJV)
He began his career as a jockey—a wiry, short, but very strong boy from Italy. It didn’t take long for him to make a name for himself around the stables and among the top owners.

After jockeying a number of blue-ribbon thoroughbreds, he went on to become a master horse trainer.

You could ask most anybody around Baltimore’s Pimlico racetrack back in the 1940s. Pop Trombero was one of the best.

By the time I met Pop in the mid-1960s, he had long since retired from the track. Actually, Pop became family…my sister’s father-in-law.

At various family gatherings Pop would come to our farm and go horseback riding with us.

On one such occasion I recall my sister asking me to let Pop ride my horse, Tumbleweed. I protested.

Listen, that horse was mine, and I didn’t want anyone else riding her—even if he was an “expert.” After a few minutes, however, I felt ashamed and gave in.

I watched Pop Trombero tighten his jockey saddle on Tumbleweed as I saddled one of the older, slower horses. While we rode, I stuck close to Pop and Tumbleweed—just to make sure he didn’t jerk on her bridle or tug at her reins.

After a few minutes together on the trail, I realized I had nothing to worry about. In fact, observing the way Pop handled my horse, I grudgingly realized I had a few things to learn.

He was so tender with Tumbleweed. Constantly talking to her. Continually stroking her neck. Always giving her his undivided attention. No matter how interesting the trail, Pop’s focus never diverted from that horse for a moment.

You wouldn’t believe the way Tumbleweed responded. She became a different horse! Her ears pricked up.

She listened to his commands, never balked, obeyed instantly. It seemed her joy to do Pop’s bidding. I was amazed! I looked down at my mount, realizing I’d hardly paid any attention to the animal. And the way my horse acted, it showed.

Wonderful things happened when a master like Pop touched a horse. He knew how to guide. He knew how to bring out the best.

And wonderful things happen when the Master touches our lives as well. Mark 6:56 tells us that “as many as touched him were made whole” (KJV).

His attention never diverts from you for a moment. His touch in your life is constant, unchanging, always tender.

Is it the joy of your life to do His will? To obey? To pick up your pace when you feel His nudge? To slow down at a gentle tug on the reins?

The Lord God knows how to guide you as no one else. He knows how to bring out your best.

Intimacy with God is really a matter of yielding to the Master’s Touch.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 8, 2022

It was a clear, cool autumn night. The camp meeting hall was in the motel conference center up the road from an ancient natural bridge formation.

I sat in a metal folding chair in the back of the dim, old structure, listening to a speaker talk about God’s love and provision. He was describing the Gospel, but his launch was the Ten Commandments.

I’ll never forget his challenge. “Kids, what I want you to do is measure your own life up against each of these commandments as I talk about them.”

Some of it went over my head. I didn’t know what “bear false witness” meant, and I wasn’t married, so I hadn’t committed adultery. But I knew enough to know that my life was falling short.

Rather than being driven to my knees in repentance, however, I became angry. How unfair of God to give us a bunch of rules and laws we couldn’t keep! Draping my sweatshirt over my shoulders, I walked out of the meeting. I remember thinking, This is ridiculous. I can’t keep those commandments. Nobody can!

I exited the musty-smelling hall into a brisk autumn night, resplendent with stars.

Climbing the path that wound up the hillside toward the cabins, I found a big, flat rock in a clearing and plunked myself down.

Leaning back, I looked up through dark, towering pine trees into the vast starry dome. I remember trying to puzzle it all through.

It was a conscious effort to really get to the bottom of this Gospel thing. Now what is this “seeking God” stuff all about? How does this all fit? He gives us commands he knows we can’t keep.

Yet he expects perfection! Jesus came, and because he was God, he did keep all the commands. He did lead a perfect life. And then, at the end, they took him and—Whoa! Of course!

It was as if the proverbial light bulb lit up over my head. Yes! That’s what the cross was all about! That’s why he had to die!

God reached down to me in that place—on a rock, under the stars—and touched my mind.

The puzzle pieces suddenly came together and I understood my need of a Savior. He met me in my place of seeking.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact

Daily Devotional
Be different!
July 7, 2022

This is a crazy world.

TV ads for luxury SUVs and sports drinks bookend stories of violence in Ukraine. A disabled infant is left to starve to death in a neo-natal unit, while a couple two thousand miles away search high and low to adopt a child—any child.

Millions of dollars are spent to protect the eggs of birds on an endangered species list, while human babies are aborted in the third trimester. Battered wives paste on smiles as they dress for church.

It’s all crazy.

I’ve seen the insanity and cruelty of man in places such as Bucharest, Kyiv, Quito…Auschwitz.

The madness began in Eden, where man and woman chose to part company with their Creator.

Whenever man gains control, chaos and darkness reign. It is insanity that blights beauty, shatters peace, and brings hurt and injustice and cruelty and neglect.

It is an insanity that preys upon the innocent and crushes dreams and quenches the light of hope in young eyes.

But this is still “My Father’s World.”

He shines in all that’s fair,

in the rustling grass

I hear him pass

He speaks to me everywhere.

In his coming, the Lord Jesus hallowed this broken, crazy world.

He breathed earth’s air and felt the warmth of its sun and drank its cool water and walked its dusty highways.

Earth’s soil drank in drops of divine sweat, tears, and blood.

The Holy Spirit is here, the wise and gentle Counselor. He speaks through his Word, and he shines through the lives of countless believers all over the world.

It is a crazy world. We keep crazy schedules. Life speeds by at a blur. The crazy waves of circumstance roll over us, overwhelm us, threaten to drag us under.

Yet God is with us, no matter where we find ourselves in life. Right in the middle of the insanity. And anywhere, at any time, we may turn to him, walk with him, talk to him, hear his voice, feel his hand, and catch—even if just for a moment—the fragrance of heaven.

Intimacy with God is an island of sanity in a sea of confusion. It is a quiet place, and it is ours. Whenever we look up into the face of our Father…whenever we reach for his hand…whenever we quiet our spirit to hear his voice…we have found a place of refuge and intimacy that nothing in this crazy world can take away.

Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional | Daily Devotional

Before going on with the prayers, make sure to read our Prayer Guide (Warning)

Important prayer tips to Note to begin any prayer

https://atomic-temporary-120154563.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/19/important-prayer-tips-to-note-to-begin-any-prayer/

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About | Contact