Prayer of Encouragement

Philemon 4, 5 (CSB)   

I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus.

Tucked between the book of Titus and Hebrews is a little-known book of the Bible called Philemon. Paul wrote this epistle from prison in Rome to Philemon who hosted a church in his home in Colossae. There’s not much we know about Philemon, except in these 25 verses. However, his life is remembered by Paul because of his love and faith.

This verse would be like receiving a note from a friend with these words to you: 

Every time I mention you in my prayers, I thank God because I hear of the love and way you are growing in your faith. What an incredibly encouraging thing to receive; being prayed for and being known because of your love and your faith.  

Two things are worth considering in this verse. 

First, the power of prayer is a form of encouragement. I’ve been on the receiving end of being prayed for and heard the words, “I’m praying for you.” Hearing those words communicate such a message of love and affirmation. Don’t doubt that letting someone know you are praying for them makes a difference.  

Second, our words are powerful. They can be weapons to harm or instruments to heal.  

There’s a space in us that needs to hear words of hope and encouragement to keep going, stay faithful, and finish the course.  

And finally, let’s ask some questions: 

What opportunities do I take to pray for others?
Can I let someone know how much their prayers mean?
Can I encourage someone I know by affirming their love and faith?
How do we want to be remembered?

We don’t do life alone and we truly need each other. Let’s offer our prayers and words to encourage each other in our faith journey.

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you for your Word to us that models prayer. Make us aware of how we can pray for each other and encourage each other. Turn our attention to noticing the love and faith in others around us.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Burden Bearer

Psalm 68:19 (NIV)

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.

This verse is part of a Psalm where David is declaring God’s majestic power. He first offers praise to the Lord. Charles Spurgeon considers praise to be “applause for God’s goodness.” When I applaud a piece of music or a speech, I give feedback in response to the singer or the speaker. In giving God praise, I am declaring, thanking, expressing, and giving my full attention to Him. Like David, I’m praising the God who is my Lord and Savior.

Because God is so awe-inspiring, holy, and majestic in who He is, I am unable to comprehend it all. That He became human at all is beyond my brain. God is more than deserving of my praise for who He is than I will ever be able to express. In addition to praising Him for who He is, we are called to praise Him for what He does; daily bears our burdens.

Tim Keller says, “To bear someone else’s burdens is to sympathize, identify with, and become involved in the person’s life so they do not have to face it alone.” God does this.

Not once in a while, but every day, every hour, God is able to bear our loads.

We don’t have to carry it, deal with it, figure it all out, solve it, or manage it all. God does this.

Burdens don’t look the same. We each have our own; health issues, family dynamics, financial concerns, daily living on this planet where cars break down, houses need fixing, and exhaustion is part of our lives. Being human means having burdens.   

My life may look different than yours, but we can all come to God and praise Him for daily bearing our burdens. As we lift our praise to God, He lifts our burdens and comes alongside us. How can we not give Him praise? 

Dear Lord,

Thank you for being a God who bears our burdens. We praise You for Your goodness, grace, and faithfulness. Your promise to bear our burdens is our only hope in this life. We give you our praise in daily bearing our burdens. We rest from the weariness when we do. Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Humbly Hurling

I Peter 5:6, 7 (NIV)
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

While growing up I attended Sunday School regularly at a little Baptist Church. Each week we were given a verse to memorize. I Peter 5:7 “Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you (KJV)” was one of the verses I memorized. I remember the Sunday School teacher telling me that God cared about me and I could give Him all my cares and worries. It was reassuring as an 8-year-old to know that I could give God my concerns. As a child, it wasn’t hard.

 As an adult, it seems a little more tricky. But I have to wonder if verse 6 of I Peter 5 isn’t somehow connected to being able to give God our worries? “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Pastor and author, Alistair Begg says, “Being humble is what enables us to give our worries to God; humility’s presence leads to anxiety’s absence.”

Humility recognizes we are not in control, but God is. Humility places trust in God, not on figuring it all out. Humility allows us to say, “Here, Lord, I can’t do this, but You can.” With a humble heart, we are in position to start casting. Casting our cares means hurling, throwing, and letting go. The Greek word is decisive, energetic, and action-oriented.

When we are humble and know we have no ability we are invited to get rid of our worries and cares. We can let go because God does care. God sees us, hears us, loves us, knows us and longs to have us come to Him. Carrying around our worries is like wearing a heavy backpack that we no longer need to manage. We can humbly hurl our cares to our Heavenly Father who tenderly cares for us.  

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for these words that we can put our trust in. Right now, we humble ourselves, under Your mighty hand and cast all our cares and concerns, the things that we lose sleep over, on You, knowing You love us, care for us, hear us, and see us. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for doing what we cannot do. 

In Your Powerful Name, Amen.

Lamp & Light

Psalm 119:105 NIV

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.

Last week one of my spiritual mentors, Tim Keller, left the earth at age 72, after battling pancreatic cancer. He was a pastor and author I came to know through his words and books.  He had a heart for bringing the Gospel to the people of New York City as a pastor of Redeemer Church in Manhattan in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

One of his many quotes exemplifies the beauty and truth of the Bible: “The Bible creates endurance. Its promises lift the heart, and its panoramic insights strengthen the will. It truly is spiritual manna that keeps us on our feet and able to go on.”

The Bible is more than just a book. The Bible was written by 40 different authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit as they wrote. How do you find words to describe all the attributes of the Bible? This verse in Psalm 119 gives us one picture of what God’s Word is like, a lamp and a light. “Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light on my path.”

Five years ago, I found myself experiencing the devastating darkness after the sudden death of my husband. God’s Word was the light that showed me the next small step I could take out of the black hole. It was a lamp I held onto as I navigated through the fog of grief and pain.

God’s Word gave me comfort, hope, strength, and wisdom to keep going. Tim Keller wrote, “Wisdom is knowing the right path to take in every situation. Nothing provides it like the Word of God.”

The Bible is a life preserver, balm for the soul, oxygen for our spirits, and IV for our minds. It’s a sword and a knife. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

God’s Word is a rich treasure that we can draw from daily as we read it, reflect on it, and respond to it. Wherever you are and whatever you are facing, let it be the lamp and light you need today. 

Dear Lord, 

Indeed, your “Word is like a deep, deep mine and jewels rich and rare are hidden in its mighty depth for every searcher there.” (Edwin Hodder, hymn writer) Give me the energy for the study of your Word that comes from a deep sense of the value of what I will find there.  Amen.
(from Tim Keller’s book “The Songs of Jesus.” 2015, Viking Press)

Waiting Well

Psalm 27:13, 14 (NIV)

 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

Daily I’m reminded that I don’t wait well. I especially don’t wait well in traffic. Recently I found myself in a line of cars stopped. I was stuck waiting and couldn’t see the reason why. I kept thinking they deliberately started doing road work because they knew I was running late to an appointment. I was unable to see the man with a sign that said, Stop, in order to allow the opposite lane of cars to go. I had to wait to take my turn so I would safely drive forward.  

Is there a method for waiting well? These verses in Psalm 27 are a partial lament where David offers a conclusion as he reflects and reminds himself of who God is. In verses 1 and 2, David calls God his light, salvation, and stronghold. He declares his desire to dwell in the house of the Lord, gazing and seeking in verses 3 and 4. And in verses 7-11, he cries out to God to hear, answer, and not leave or abandon him. David is honest and desperate.  

Finally, in verse 13 he offers us this definitive statement, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” David’s stance is certain. He deliberately chooses to place his trust in God who will demonstrate His goodness to him. 

Then comes the waiting. David says, wait, then “be strong and take heart” and wait again.

There seems to be an element of not giving up and staying steadfast as he waits. 

Waiting isn't easy. Pastor and author, Mark Vroegrop says, “Why is waiting so difficult? Because it feels as if we’re not doing anything. And that’s the point. You’re not doing anything, but God is.” He further goes on to say, “…waiting is not a waste.”  

In a season of waiting, it’s easy to think God is ignoring our prayers, or withholding what we are asking Him for. If I believe God is withholding something, I feel frustrated and stubbornly stand with my hands on my hips, demanding that He must do something. If I believe that God has me in a season of waiting, I can sit and focus on what He’s done in the past and place my trust in what I can’t see yet. Knowing who God is, trusting in His goodness, kindness, and timing because He loves me allows me to wait well. Waiting can give us time to recall God’s faithfulness and hold tight to the promise that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  

Dear Lord Jesus,

You already know how impatient we are. Thank you for being a gracious Heavenly Father who keeps us, hears us and sees us. Thank you for your lovingkindness and faithful timing. Help us trust You as we wait, not knowing why or what is coming, but knowing that what awaits is a sign of Your goodness.

In Jesus Mighty Name,

Amen

Well-Watered Garden

Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

Today’s verse is full of promise and hope. More than ever before in my life, I’ve found God’s promises to be true in the midst of a storm or a sun-scorched land. Max Lucado reminds us; “We never expected to see Jesus in a divorce, death, lawsuit, or jail cell. We never expected to see him in a storm. But it is in the storms he does his finest work, for it is in storms he has our keenest attention.”

My dear friend Brenda has discovered God’s presence in her sun-scorched land. In 2021, a few months after her mother died, she was diagnosed with acute leukemia. She began her journey at her local hospital receiving chemo then was referred out at City of Hope in Duarte, California, a 2-hour drive from her home. It was here she spent over 100 days receiving a bone marrow transplant from her older brother. Amidst her treatment, her sister died suddenly.

During the painful, grief-filled, unknown journey, Brenda clung to hope. We chatted on the phone every Tuesday, crying, praying, and lamenting. A year later, Brenda is no longer in the sun-scorched land. Earlier this month, she received the news that her stem cell transplant is 100 percent engrafted and she shows no sign of cancer. Like a well-watered garden, she is now flourishing.

In reflecting on the first part of this verse in Isaiah is the promise of God’s guidance, direction, and leading us wherever we are; in a dry place, in a desolate space, in a place with no signs of growth or life. Here is where God comes to satisfy us. He starts in a place that we don’t want to be. It’s where He can do His work, providing, protecting, and producing yet unseen results, as we wait and trust Him.

In that dark, dry place is where we can be strengthened by His presence, His promises, and prayer.  

From the place that looks hopeless comes a well-watered garden showing signs of life. It’s where the Lord has watered our souls as we’ve waited, walked, and remained dependent on Him during the storm. 

Thriving doesn’t come when life is going well. Out of the parched places we are growing into a well-watered garden.  

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for the promise that You will always lead us, satisfy us, and strengthen us.  Give us peace as we trust You in the parched places.  Help us as we cling to You, tightly holding on to hope. Thank you for the promise of your presence.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Guaranteed Satisfaction

Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

When I first moved to California, there was a car salesman who had a television commercial that would announce, “Satisfaction guaranteed” accentuating each syllable like a military sergeant. His pronouncement was believable. It was a promise to make certain you were happy with his product.  

It doesn’t take us long to discover that our search for satisfaction isn’t guaranteed. Disappointment and disillusionment dash our hopes in people, stuff, and experiences. These shiny things appeal to our dissatisfaction but don’t completely meet our deepest needs. We go into relationships desiring to meet a need for feeling special. Stuff and experiences invite us to look for status and safety. But it’s short-lived and unsustainable.  

This verse in Psalm 90 is a request and desire from the psalmist to have God satisfy him with something that truly meets his deepest need, his unfailing love. God’s love supplies what we truly need; God’s love is faithful, complete, and never runs out. We don’t have to earn it or perform. Nothing can separate us from his love. 

In Romans 8:38-39 (NIV), Paul reminds us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Tony Horsfall, in his book, “Working from a Place of Rest” says, “we are God’s beloved children, loved by him, unconditionally and eternally. This gives us our security and self-worth and meets our need for significance.”

The second half of the verse is the “so that” or the equal sign of what results with this satisfaction: a sense of contentment and joy that is solely based on the endless and eternal love from a God who keeps all his promises. 

Dear Lord,

Let this verse be our desire every morning, to have You, and You alone, satisfy us in the deepest places with Your unfailing love. Sustain us, surround us, as we invite You, to meet our deepest needs. Thank you, Lord, for a love that will not let us go. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Prescription for Pain: Pause and Recall

Psalm 13:5-6 (CSB)

“But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.”

Pastor and author, Tim Keller, says, “The Psalms are a medicine chest for the heart and the best possible guide for living.” Over a 1/3 of the Psalms are laments; prayers expressing pain that lead to trust. Psalm 13 is the heartfelt expression of David’s pain. The first two verses ask the hard question; “How long, Lord?” David repeats the same question four times; he’s wrestling with his thoughts, burdened by his suffering, and expressing his sorrow to God, and pleading for an answer. 

Haven't we all been there? Or maybe you are there now? How much longer must I wait?

How long will this last? How will this end? How much more can I take?

Then comes the word that changes the tone of his plea: But. A stop sign that pivots the entire chapter and turns the corner. Here’s the key that unlocks the door to trust. David stops and remembers the past; “I have trusted.” He’s been there before and remembers the taste in his mouth of God’s faithfulness and love.

“My heart will rejoice.” David takes what he recalls and sticks his hope for the future that he won’t be where he is for much longer. He will rejoice and he will sing again. It’s coming soon.

Then the final statement is the answer to his why question; because; because David has been treated generously in the past.

What he knows about God in the past provides what he needs now to put hope in the future. He doesn’t stay in the same place. His memory bank has a deposit that he can withdraw to keep going. We can do the same. Like David, we can remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness from the past to sustain us in the present and carry us in the future. 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you that we can look back and see Your great faithfulness. Thank you that, You, Lord, are able to give us eyes to see You in our questions and fears. Help us not forget Your faithful love, because You, have treated us generously and lavished your grace on us. We are grateful. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Fixed Focus

2 Chronicles 20:12 (New International Version)

“For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

There are times when life slams us down and we can’t see straight. We are left to ask questions and face the reality of not knowing what to do. I’ve had moments when I honestly don’t know what to do, except to say, “help, Lord.”   

The story that precedes today’s verse is about King Jehoshaphat (I love his name) who was told there is a battle coming, with a “vast number.” In verse 3, Jehoshaphat, “was afraid and he resolved to seek the Lord.” He goes on to pray to the Lord in verse 6, and says, “Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you.”  

The steps in his strategy don’t sound like a military general planning his response to being attacked. He doesn’t consult with his staff or design a battle plan. Quite the opposite.

First, Jehoshaphat resolved to seek to the Lord. Resolved means “firmly determined to do something.” He didn't wait or worry or throw up his hands. He went directly to the Lord.  

Second, he knew God was powerful and could be trusted. “No one can stand against you.”

Jehoshaphat had history with God from the past that built his faith to trust God in the present. Finally, he recognized his powerlessness and placed his eyes on God. His vision and focus were fixed on the God he knew, powerful in the past, faithful in the present, and trustworthy in the future.   

What battle are you facing today? What decision feels heavy and unclear? Where is your focus?  

We don’t have to know what to do. We have a Savior that we can run to in our powerlessness and fix our gaze on His face. God is faithful to help us when we don’t know what to do.  

Dear Lord,

I am powerless without You. You are my only source of power. Give me a fixed focus on You, before the battle, in the battle, and after the battle. Help me keep my eyes on You amidst the distractions around me. In Your Mighty and Powerful Name, Amen.