A  husband’s lack of desire to move forward spiritually brought his wife to a point of despair.  “He keeps telling me he’ll change, and then he goes right back to where he was before,” was her heart-broken response. 

A woman discipling a young Christian can be frustrated at the young believer’s lack of desire to walk away from her old life and trust Christ and His Word in every situation. 

Mothers who love God and pour their lives into their children so they will love Him too, often throw their hands up in dismay after their child, yet again, responds in rebellion to the Word of God instead of surrender.

What are we to do when those around us, those that we love and are pouring our lives into, refuse to change?

 It’s not a last resort; it must be our first action.  It’s not the final clincher on a relationship; it must be the constant glue.  It’s not the “if all else fails” business; it must be first on our priority list.

God does the changing; we cannot. He alone has the power to move in on a circumstance.  He made the sun to stand still when Joshua prayed. He gave a child to Hannah when she prayed.  He provided a wife for Isaac when Abraham’s servant prayed. He sent manna from heaven when Moses prayed. If we want to see change, we, too, must pray. 

It is the Holy Spirit who will work in the heart to convict and to give understanding.  Philippians 2:13 – For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

We cannot change a person; only God can do that.  If you have a burden for someone who isn’t walking closely to God, or is disobeying Him in some respect, be faithful to do your part. You can be sure God will be faithful to do His.

The words to this song remind us of the need to pray:

Have you seen God answering your prayers for someone for whom you’re burdened?  Encourage someone with your testimony! 

With love,

A young engaged girl witnesses a couple, married for 20 years and very much in love.  She watches as they look lovingly at one another, as the husband cares for his wife, placing an arm around her during the church service and holding the songbook as they sing hymns to their God.  “This is the kind of marriage I want!” she thinks to herself with determination.

New parents read good books on child training techniques and learn how to get baby to sleep through the night even before it’s born (okay, I’m stretching it!).  They are educated on how to stimulate their child so he’ll be “baby Einstein” and outsmart every other smart baby before its time.  They learn the “how-to’s” of discipline that guarantee a child to be polite, respectful and God-fearing.  “This is the kind of child we will have!” they say in unison as the finished book is set on the shelf.

A young woman who has grown up with a godly mother remembers how her mother acted (most of the time) and hopeful that she, too, will demonstrate those characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman so beautifully modeled before her all her life.  “It should be easy to be this kind of woman,” she thinks.  “I’ll  just act like my mom.”

In Mark 9, we find the story of Jesus healing the boy with the demon.  The disciples could not cast the demon out, but Jesus did.  After the incident was over and the boy was healed, we read: “his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?” Jesus’ answer is, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. The disciples could do other things that required less, but this kind required much prayer and fasting. 

How often do we think we can just be something – a wonderful wife, a godly mother, a godly woman and don’t fully understand that that kind of thing comes only by prayer and fasting? 

Can I really have that kind of godly marriage without daily asking God to protect my husband and my marriage? 
Can I have that kind of godly marriage without praying God will show me how to love my husband?
Can I have that kind of a godly child without praying that I will first be an obedient mother?
Can I have that kind of godly child without praying for my child every single day, and many times throughout the day?
Can I have that kind of godly character without praying that God will not allow my flesh to win today?
Can I have that kind of godly character without praying that God will help me to love His Word so that it will fill my heart and mouth?

Whatever we are pointing at and saying, “That’s the kind I want!,” we must realize that it only comes by great prayer!  Are you a praying woman?  Did you pray today?  I don’t mean a quick thanks for your oatmeal at breakfast – but real prayer – the kind that would cause us to even miss a meal because we are so earnest about our request.  Do you know this sweet song…

Indeed, let’s not forget to pray.

With love,

As many of you know, I make my regular seat at church up front. I am too distracted during the preaching if I’m sitting where there are lots of people in front of me. I sit up front to minimize the curious thoughts – “Oh, so-and-so isn’t in there normal seat, I wonder if they’re sick? Their little girl is so cute – look at that little dress she’s wearing.” You get the picture.

However, sitting up front allows me to hear and see things that are going on that others in the back might not be alerted to. Sunday during prayer for the offering, I heard a scurrying about and, well, okay – I peeked! The scurrying was coming from all those in the orchestra going to their seats so that they would be out of the way when the trumpet duo played for the offertory. People were putting instruments in cases, grabbing music stands, and coming back to put away their orchestra chair. This all took place while the prayer was being spoken for the offering that was to be taken in a moment. Everyone who hadn’t heard the movement (or who had heard it and had more discipline than I!) must have assumed that the only thing going on at that moment was a prayer being offered up. They were mistaken!

As I sat during the beautiful trumpet duo and pondered what I had just seen, I thought about how true that is any time we pray. We offer a prayer to the Lord on the behalf of others – for their needs, for their salvation, for their healing, and because of that prayer things are happening! What if we could see what God was doing as result of our prayer? We’d see Him directing a believer to give a gift to supply a need, or share the Gospel on their break at work, a doctor giving a surprised report to their cancer patient…all kinds of things are going on!

I realize we can’t see the activity during prayer like I did on Sunday, but we must pray in faith, knowing that God is indeed at work to answer our requests! We need to just “open our eyes” and see that He is doing what He promised He would do. Whatever you’re on your knees asking God to do right now, have faith that the almighty God of heaven is at work on your behalf!

Under His feathers,

Usually in every marriage there is a pitcher and a saver; a thrower-outer and a keeper; a sober minded and a sentimental heart. I am the first in the list! I have a sentimental heart, but I also realize that I have a memory to recall that precious object to mind. I can take a picture and be just as happy with it as the real thing!

In my desire to unclutter my life and my house, I gave a heavy sigh at supper one night this week and said, “I wish I had a huge dumpster in the backyard so I could just throw a bunch of stuff away.” My husband shocked me with his reply: “The trailer is backed up to the basement door, you can put things in there and I’ll take it to the dump for you.” Shock, disbelief and utter amazement ran through my mind. Did my husband, the saver, the keeper, the sentiment really just say that? I lifted his right hand and said, “Repeat after me. I promise I won’t recapture anything my wife throws away.” (He said he had his toes crossed!) Oh well, I will definitely take him up on this offer. My basement – whole house for that matter – is going to get a combing through! What I don’t use is either getting set aside for my upcoming yard sale or it’s getting tossed into the trailer! I’ll keep you updated on my progress!

The very same day that this conversation occurred, I had also mentioned to my husband how wonderful it was to go to prayer that day. I had many burdens on my heart when I awoke and really felt heavy laden with all the cares. Ministry friends, my mom who’s dealing with a debilitating pain, my daughters, a friend who’s very sick…on and on the list went. I cried out to the Lord in my quiet time thanking Him that He was there to unload my burdens and carry them for me.

When I thought about throwing all my “stuff” into the trailer my mind went immediately to my prayer time. I had done the very same thing with my cares – I had tossed them out of my cluttered mind and heart and given them over to the Lord. And just as I made my husband promise not to reclaim anything that got tossed, it would be my responsibility to “raise my hand” and promise not to go retrieve them. Those needs must stay in the Lord’s hands for He alone can answer. He is the only One able to provide, intervene or sustain.

Oh, the blessing that comes to my life when I unclutter “stuff.” Far greater still is the blessing I receive when I unclutter my burdens in prayer every day. The Lord is always there at the door ready to receive it all and take it from me and do what only an almighty God can do!

Have you thrown your cares to Him today? He’s waiting to take them!

Under His feathers,