As I write this on a Friday night, I’m very aware that the last thing most of you want to hear or think about as you begin your weekend is work. You’re probably either looking forward to spending the next two days with your family doing things you wouldn’t otherwise have time for, or, as in my case, are counting on a restful Saturday and Sunday to end one week and begin another. But as I’ve learned by way of experience over these last several months, living for a two day weekend is a tragic waste of the gift of life. If you wake up every Monday morning with a sigh of reluctance and drag off to work, already wishing it was Friday, then you’ll spend more than 70% of your life unhappy. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us that God’s mercies are new every morning – not just on our days off.

One way I’ve been able to realize God’s grace on a daily basis is to make the most of my commute. There are numerous ways to get to work from my house, but I make it a priority to take the scenic route whenever possible. Something about seeing the beauty of an autumn sunrise with worship music playing on my car stereo is able to dissolve that longing to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head. Of course if you live in the city the picture above may be the closest you’ll ever come to a scenic commute, but that’s not what matters; simply find a way to start your day off on the right foot by giving God the opportunity to reveal His love to you afresh.

“Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee.”

-Psalm 143:8

Finding 30 minutes to spend in a prayer closet every morning may be next to impossible for some people, especially if getting up at 4 AM barely gets you out the door on time. But the point is not for me to set in stone how you should spend your day with God; it’s for you to identify the often subtle, daily opportunities you may now be overlooking to spend time in prayer and fellowship with your heavenly Father. For me, this means not taking the interstate; for you, it may mean opening up the Bible during your lunch break and feasting on what Job valued even “more than [his] necessary food” (Job 23:12). If your love for God and desire to serve Him is sincere, He will provide and reveal more opportunities to serve Him than you ever realized you had. You just have to keep your eyes open.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

               -Matthew 6:33

In these tough economic times, I know I’m not the only one who’s realized the need to create a weekly budget to help keep me on track financially. Without a definite course charted out I often find it difficult to stay motivated and am very liable to spend a little bit more money than is appropriate on unnecessary things, such as eating out and texting.

In the same way, it’s often necessary for a Christian to budget their time in order to maintain a close relationship with God. If you are regularly missing out on prayer, Bible study and church due to a supposed lack of time, then consider putting your facebook account on hold for a while and reprioritizing your schedule. Put God first and make everything else revolve around His place in your heart.

“And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.”

               -Mark 9:43

For some of you, finding time to spend with God might mean setting your alarm 20 minutes early next week and trying to remember where you last had your Bible. For others, you may have to do nothing more than close your web browser after reading this post and go implement what you’ve just read. Whatever sacrifice you find necessary, just remember that it is no sacrifice to have a relationship with the living God. “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)

 

 

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty.”

               -I Timothy 2:1, 2

In case you haven’t looked at your calendar lately, today (Thursday) is the 60^th annual National Day of Prayer. Every first Thursday of May our government, not only allows, but actually encourages people to come together in prayer for both themselves and for their country. The holiday was signed into law by president Harry S. Truman on April 17, 1952, and has been an annual observance of our country for every year since. Of course this doesn’t mean that every lawmaker or president has actually supported the idea, but it has nevertheless remained an official holiday of the United States for what is now six decades. 

Of course the Word of God reminds us very plainly that prayer should be our steering wheel in life, and not simply our spare tire. We can’t just acknowledge God once in a year when we need something, but must instead put His will first in every decision that we make, trusting in Him to direct our paths in righteousness (Proverbs 3:6). Nevertheless, God has gifted His people with a special, yearly reminder to set aside the many distractions that often pull us away from Him (Hebrews 12:1) and to spend time humbly seeking Him in prayer concerning those things which are truly important.

“If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

               -II Chronicles 7:14

Today, I would like to encourage my fellow Christians to take a simple 30 minutes of your time and spend it in sincere prayer for God’s mercy upon our country. The problems we see in our government cannot and will not be fixed by mere elections or legal resolutions; it is only when we fall on our face before the mighty throne of God that we will have any hope of returning to a place of Divine blessing and favor. Will you join me?

 

 

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. ”

                                                 -Ecclesiastes 5:18

This time of year is always one of the most busy seasons of life around our home. The grass is growing and needs cut; the flowers are blooming and need weeded; the weather’s nice, and you can’t help but notice that the shed could really use a fresh coat of paint. All of a sudden the days of hot chocolate and sled rides come to an end, and we quickly come to the realization that there’s about a million and one things we did last spring that somehow came undone over the winter months. With toolbox in hand, we thus set out to rid ourselves of any degree of spring fever while silently hope we don’t kill ourselves in the process.

Of course there’s nothing at all wrong with some good, hard work. In fact, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 2:24 that “there is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.”  The problem we must avoid, however, is in allowing our ever-growing list of things to do distract us from that which is truly important in life (see my last post). Even though most spring chores usually can’t be postponed for very long at a time, I truly believe these moments are some of the best for intimate fellowship with God since it is in these moments that our true character really begins to shine through. Once we learn to walk with God while tilling the garden, it won’t be so hard to walk with Him through the valleys of this life.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

                                                   -Ecclesiastes 9:10

What will you be doing tomorrow? Cutting the grass? Then sing songs of praise to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). Raking the leaves? Then meditate on God’s Word or talk to Him in prayer (Psalm 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Whatever we do we are commanded to all to the glory of God (Colossians 3:23), and there’s few better ways to do this than in acknowledging you can’t go a minute without Him by your side. It is only then that we can experience the fullness of joy His presence brings (Psalm 16:11).

 

 

 

How does your average prayer begin? With complaints, concerns, or requests? The Scriptures remind us that every prayer should begin with heartfelt praise to our heavenly Father (Matthew 6:9), and yet too often we find it easier to just give the Lord a list of things we want Him to do for us instead. We take His blessings for granted, despite the fact that we’ve already been given more than we could ever deserve.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

             -Psalm 100:4

As my photo illustrates, we serve a God Who is actively preserving all Creation. Nothing that was, is, or ever will be, could exist without His sustaining power and provision! Even the angels of heaven, who have never experienced redeeming grace like us, still find reason to eternally praise Him simply because of Who He is as God (Revelation 4:8). How is it, then, that our praise is usually dependent on whether or not we get everything on our spiritual “wish-list”, and then battle thoughts of doubt and discouragement when something doesn’t go our way? Truthfully, praising the Lord only when we get what we want is no praise at all; it’s selfishness.

Just like Job, I believe each of us must come to the realization that God is God no matter what (Job 1:21). Sometimes praising Him despite our circumstances isn’t an easy thing to do, but that’s why it’s called a sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15). Even though every situation we face may not always be praiseworthy, our God is and we must learn to worship Him in the good times and bad.

 

 

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

             -Psalm 55:17

One of the most important decisions you can make as a Christian is to develop a personal and intimate relationship with God by spending time in prayer and Bible study each day. This should go far beyond praying over your meals or sitting quietly while your mom or dad reads from the Bible before bedtime, but actually involve you making a serious and voluntary effort to draw closer to the Lord (James 4:8).

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

           -Daniel 6:10

According to the experts, approximately 10% of what we hear sticks with us. With this in mind, I discovered that even if you attended church every Sunday of your life for 78 years (the average lifespan), you would still only absorb about 17 days worth of preaching. By contrast, the average person will spend at least 64,000 hours, or 7.4 years, watching television after their 15th birthday! My point is simple: listening to what your pastor has to say about God once a week just isn’t enough. We must pursue a personal walk with God that holds a higher priority in our lives than the newest reality show or our favorite sitcom.

“And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”

             -Mark 26:40

Years ago I heard a pastor challenge his congregation to spend just one hour in prayer each day and see what a difference it would make in their lives. Today, I’m challenging you to do the same. Though you might have to give up something that’s  important to you in order to meet this challenge, keep in mind that nothing is so important as your relationship with Christ. If we don’t hesitate to give something as insignificant as the television almost three times as much of our day regularly, then it shouldn’t be all that difficult to give God 4% of our time.

 

NOTE: Click here to see the formula I used for calculating my statistics.

“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you…”

              -I Samuel 12:23

Look through my archives, and you’ll see that I’ve posted on a very wide variety of topics over the past several months. I’ve actually done this intentionally in hopes that, no matter where you are in life, you can come to this site and be blessed in your walk with God and find encouragement through His Word. Yet in spite of my best efforts, I truly believe that sometimes the best way to uplift our brothers and sisters in Christ is to simply pray for them. Truthfully, as my readership has continued to grow, I couldn’t possibly post what each of you need to hear at just the right moment even if I knew exactly what that was.

Anyway, after spending much of this evening working on it, I’ve just finished adding a new page (above tab) where you can actually send me your prayer requests directly from this site! Simply enter your name or pseudonym, e-mail address, and a description of how I can be praying for you. By clicking submit, your message will automatically be sent to my personal inbox and I will remember your need each day in my prayer time.

However big or small your need may be, I hope you won’t hesitate in sending me your requests. Whether it’s a test in school or a sick loved one, we are reminded again and again throughout Scripture of the miracles that can be accomplished when God’s people join together in faith and prayer (Matthew 18:19). After all, that’s what the Body of Christ is for (Galatians 6:2).

One mistake I think many Christians – including myself - often make, is us getting in our heads that, in order to spend time with God, we’ve got to be saying something. Without giving the Lord a chance to get a word in edgewise, we ramble on about our needs, our desires, and our problems until we feel like we’ve said enough. Once we think we’ve put in enough time, we wrap it up, say Amen, and wait until the next day when we’ll repeat the process.

The problem with this, however, is that we are turning our time with God into a monologue instead of a dialogue. Christianity was never intended to be a single-sided relationship, yet, for many, that’s what it has become. I know that I’ve never really enjoyed talking with somebody who thinks they are the only one with anything worth saying, and I highly doubt the Lord does either. Could it be that the reason we aren’t hearing from God like we want to is because we simply won’t listen for His voice?

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

                         -Psalm 46:10

Some of the best moments I’ve ever spent with God were times of complete silence on my part. Whether going outside and watching the beauty of the night sky, or sitting in a church pew enjoying the presence of the Lord, I’ve learned that God has His own ways of speaking to us. He doesn’t always speak audibly; He finds louder ways of getting our attention. But, even if He does speak, will we be able to hear Him over our own voices?

Perhaps the Lord has spoken to your heart in the few moments that you’ve been reading this post. Maybe He’s telling you it’s time to “be still” and listen to the song He’s singing over you (Zeph. 3:17), or that it’s time to stop standing still and start moving forward in Him. Whatever He may be saying to you, listen closely.

Yes, it’s me again! I wanted to share this important prayer request with you guys, but it didn’t seem to fit in my last post smoothly. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and wrap up my series on fasting with this great message from Squeaks over at “The Minstrel Warrior.” Here it is:

___________________________________________________

Many of you have heard of Emily B.; she’s a 16 year old girl living in England and is battling leukemia (a cancer of the white blood cells). Her button looks like this:

I’ve been reading Emily’s blog for a little while and I’ve been greatly encouraged by the strength of this young lady. She’s currently transporting her belongings to live in a hospital where she’ll be undergoing a 1 month period of isolation. {MY NOTE: To Undergo Cancer Treatment}

Let’s join together for OPERATION: COMBAT!  

So here’s how OPERATION: COMBAT is going to work…I want to gather a force of prayer warriors together that will willingly give up something important to them… and focus on God, praying for Emily’s healing from leukemia. OPERATION: COMBAT will take place 1 day before Emily begins her period of isolation and will continue for approximately one month (until Emily announces that she’s out of isolation)……

______________________________________________

Perhaps through this series you’ve decided you would like to fast more often, or perhaps start one for the very first time. If so, this is a worthwhile cause that I hope you’ll consider. I have the button on my sidebar that you can click to find out more info about it all (the above text was edited for length), and you can also get the grab code to put it on your own website or blog.

I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer, but I also believe that the more people we have praying the better! Won’t you join us and see what God will do!

“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

                                                            -Matthew 6:16

Much like prayer, fasting should be a very personal thing that stays between you and God (and your parents if applicable). While some people like drawing attention to themselves and their wonderful religious deeds, the Christian’s ultimate goal should be to bring glory to God – something that isn’t accomplished with a “look-at-me” attitude. True, there are some instances when sharing a word or two with somebody about our fast might be an encouragement to them, but we should always make sure our motives are pure and the situation appropriate. In most cases, however, we needn’t let everybody on Facebook know, “I’m fasting today.”

I also believe it’s important to remember that fasting is much more than just missing out on something special in your life. Are you going to fast from the computer? Then don’t just stay away from the PC; move closer to God! Is the Lord dealing with you to give up a few meals this week? Then don’t just not eat; feast on God! I say this because I know it can be a real struggle to fill that gap in your day with something worthwhile. Sometimes we tend to be satisfied with the physical aspect of fasting and forget about the spiritual side of it, and therefore miss the whole point. Don’t let this happen to you.

Finally, we should remember that our God has a perfect will, and we should always be willing to compromise our desires for His. For example, earlier this evening I was reading in 2 Samuel 12 where David went on an intense fast when his son’s life was in jeopardy due to a severe illness. For 7 days, he ate nothing. But despite this great act of faith, God said ‘no’ and took his son anyway. Yet instead of turning his back on God and losing faith in the power of prayer, David got up, dusted himself off, and moved on. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his son; rather, he understood that the Lord had a reason for doing what He did that reached much further than his own short-sightedness. Fasting doesn’t twist God’s arm into giving us what we want; it is a tangible way of showing Him how sincerely we desire it.

I’ve been blogging for nearly a year now and have written more than 200 devotionals for you guys, but I just realized a moment ago that I am yet to touch on the subject of fasting. And as important as fasting is, I’d like to take this opportunity to share and discuss a few Scriptures on the subject.

“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

                                       -Esther 4:16

Traditionally, fasting is considered to be a period of abstinence from food (and sometimes water) for the purpose of intensified prayer and drawing closer to God. Many times, a person will fast when seeking direction from God, or when they or somebody else they know has a need in their life that needs attention. What to fast from and how long to continue fasting is generally decided by the individual concerned, although making these decisions through prayerful consideration is always a good idea.

“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

                                                                   -Job 23:12

Besides creating more time to spend in prayer and Bible study, fasting also shows the Lord how important He is to you. Think about it. When you put Him before food (or whatever else you may be fasting from), you are saying, in essence, “God, You are more important to me than anything. I would rather miss a meal than miss out on time spent with You!” The Lord greatly honors this kind of commitment, and our additional prayers may be just what it takes to break through the barrier that stands in our way. Additionally, fasting has the strange ability to give us a renewed zeal and  love for God that lasts much longer than the fast itself. In my opinion, that simple truth alone makes any hunger pains more than worth the end result.

Another type of fasting which you may be more familiar with, and that has become even more popular in recent days, is that of abstaining from some material thing in your life. This could include television, video games, recreational reading, or anything else you think you could use a break from. I’ve participated in this type of fasting many times, and it can be just as beneficial as the traditional method given the proper circumstances. Not only does it create more time to spend with God, but it can also help to break any bad habits we may have developed. On the other hand,  if you’re the type of person that doesn’t waste too much time on trivial things, this may not be the way to go. Once again, prayerful consideration is the best way to determine how you should fast  and for what length of time.

Whatever you choose to fast from, the Lord will honor your desire to draw closer to Him and bless you for it. Whether it means missing a meal or your favorite T.V show, no fast that is done in a spirit of true worship and humility is a wasted effort.

My longtime followers will remember about 6 months ago when a dozen or so of us banded together and had a “Day of Praise.” On April 20, we vowed not to ask God for anything whatsoever, but to instead spend as much time as we could praising Him for what He’d already done in our lives.

Ever since then, I’ve tossed around the idea of having another Day of Praise, but I just never felt like the timing was right. That is, until now. A few minutes ago, I was exploring klove.com, and look what I saw!

I know it’s very short notice, but I would love for us to be able to join the listeners of Klove in this day of praise. There is definite power in numbers, and the more people that praise God together the more glory He will receive. With that said, will you consider joining me this Monday to praise the Lord for Who He is and what He’s done in your life? If you plan to participate, please leave me a comment and let me know so we can be encouraged by your thankfulness to God. Also, if you are reading this tonight (Saturday), you might also consider sharing this opportunity with your church tomorrow morning or evening. I’m sure at least a few of the congregation would be thrilled to sacrifice one day of their week to praising God.

As a final thought, Monday is usually thought of as being a bad day that nobody looks forward to. Many of us will be going back to school or work, and we’re not at all excited about that concept. But just think what a great start it would be to your week if you spent the whole day with a praise in your heart to God (Ephesians 5:19)! I’m sure it would give each of us the needed joy to make it through the rest of our week. Won’t you join us?

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised…”

                                      -Psalm 48:1

“And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.”

“And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.”

                                 -Joshua 9:3-6, 14

I know this passage is significantly longer than most texts that I use, but it carries a vital message which I’d like to share with you, so please bear with me.

You see, as the Israelites began making their way into the promised land, the inhabitants of Canaan and the surrounding territory became exceedingly fearful for their own safety. And who could blame them? Rumors of a people whose God could part seas and bring plagues upon those who opposed them were not taken lightly by the Gibeonites, and so they devised a plan whereby to ensure their survival: they would fool God’s people into making a covenant of peace with them. In order to do so, they put on old, worn clothes,  put moldy bread in their sacks, and everything else necessary to give them the appearance of weary travelers.

Being deceived by the Gibeonite’s disguises, the Israelites did indeed make the desired covenant, probably never expecting to see this caravan again. But as it turned out, these people were anything but weary travelers from a far country; they pretty much lived next door. Now, because of their oath, they were unable to fulfill the commandment of God and destroy all the inhabitants of the land. Naturally, this caused problems in the days ahead.

Moving on to verse 14, however, we find that the whole reason this deception was successful in the first place was because nobody in the Israelite camp prayed about this crucial decision. It seemed right at the moment, so they acted on impulse. But on the other hand, if they had sought God’s direction they would have seen it was not His will for any kind of agreement to be reached between the two nations. Now I’m not saying He would’ve showed them the big picture of what was going on, but at the very least they would been able to avoid making a very costly mistake.

Do you see what God is trying to teach us here? Every decision we make, big or small, should be brought before God in prayer to ensure we don’t make the wrong choice. Now does this mean we made a wrong turn somewhere along the line if things suddenly start going wrong in our life? Not necessarily. Sometimes God purposefully leads us down a more painful path in order to teach us something useful. But rest assured, taking things into our own hands is never the way to go.

What choices has life presented you with today? A new job opportunity? A decision between colleges? Whether or not to touch on a sensitive topic in one of your blog posts? Whatever it is, God has an opinion, and we would all do well to make sure we get His input first.

I still have a couple more posts up my sleeve for my series on Evolution versus Creation, but I just had to take a few moments to share with you about a Rebelution Conference I attended this Saturday.

You see, the Rebelution (started by Alex and Brett Harris) is a teen movement that encourages teens to rebel against the low expectations of today’s society and live their lives in such a way that glorifies God. For the past several years, they have been holding Conferences all over the U.S. and they use these opportunities not only to present their views on what God intended the teen years to be, but they also share the Gospel with those in attendance. Obviously, this part of the Conference is the most crucial, and many of the volunteers have been praying for a good response for quite some time. And do you want to know what we learned? God still answers prayer!

Instead of doing as most people do after presenting the Gospel, they did not ask those who had accepted Christ to simply raise their hand while everybody had their heads bowed and their eyes closed. Rather, they explained that if you could not publicly stand for Christ in an environment where other people would be excited for you and applaud, then you could not possibly stand for him when you went back to school, work, or even to a non-Christian family. Instead, they were asked to stand up  and shout, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” (No, I’m not kidding)

At first, there was a chilling silence. Nobody moved. In a room filled with nearly 2,000 people, you could have heard a pin drop. Then all of a sudden, somebody stood up and yelled, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” Then there was another, and another, and another. Before you knew what was happening, dozens and dozens of people were saying through tears, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” It was honestly the most beautiful sound I have ever heard, and I know for a fact that I’m not the only one who teared up. All told, about 200 people (out of the 1,905 in attendance) stood and made a public profession of faith that day. Some were teens, some were parents, and some were even volunteers – but either way, it was amazing.

Do you have an unsaved loved one in your life? If so, let me advise you not to neglect praying for them. It really works.

As many of you know, the Rebelution Tour will be in St. Louis on August 28 (if you are unfamiliar with the Rebelution, then check out the website here). Thousands of teens will be attending this conference and, for many of them, this has the potential to be a life-changing event.

As we read in James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." With that said, I believe prayer is imperative to the success of this conference. That is why I am asking those of you who will be attending to earnestly and prayerfully consider joining me as a member of the Prayer Team. As Captain of this team, I will be recruiting as many people as possible to, in essence, pray for the event. You would be expected to,

• Pray approximately 15 minutes per day for the conference, its volunteers, and attendees. Also, I would give you periodic updates informing you of more specific prayer requests that have been presented to me by the staff, coordinators, and other volunteer workers.

• On the day of the conference, a prayer room will be designated at the event facility. The Team will gather there and have a prayer meeting before the conference begins.

• If any of the attendees request to be prayed with/for, we would be the ones to do so.

• Members of the Prayer Team will take turns spending a short amount of time (perhaps 15-20 minutes) praying in the prayer room in such a way that there is somebody praying throughout the entirety of the conference.

If you are willing to join me in this work, please contact me  and I will set you up as a member of the Team.

Any questions or comments are more than welcome.


In Christ,
Dakota

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

                            -Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer is an extremely powerful thing. In fact, I don't think there is anything that strikes more fear into the devil than when he sees a saint of God on his knees before the Lord. Why? Because "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16) There is no mountain so high, and no valley so low, that cannot be conquered through prayer.

"I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God..."

       -Psalm 17:6

When we call on the name of the Lord, we can be absolutely confident that He is listening. Not only can we be confident that He is listening, but we can also be confident that an answer is on its way. Granted, the answer may not always be what we want it to be, but we will get an answer nonetheless. How amazing it is to think that the Creator of the universe listens to the cry of our hearts, no matter how great or small the need may be! Oftentimes it is hard to get even family and friends to pay attention to what we have to say, and yet Almighty God takes the time to listen to every request, every burden, and every care that we bring before Him!

"But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me."

                            -Psalm 66:19, 20

Prayer is more than a weapon; it is a gift. What a comfort it is to know that Jesus Christ Himself is always nigh, ready and waiting for us to call upon His name! Let us not disappoint Him.

"O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come."

                            -Psalm 65:2

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss..."

                            -James 4:3

This evening I had my Bible open to the book of James - one of my favorite books in the New Testament - and I happened across this verse. James tells his readers here that the reason they had not received is because they had been asking amiss - or erroneously. In other words, just as searching for oranges on an apple tree would no doubt leave me with a lack of oranges, asking amiss will inevitably leave me with a lack of results. After reading this verse, I was reminded of another passage of Scripture in the book of II Chronicles:

"And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign."

                            -II Chronicles 16:12, 13

We see here that King Asa made the same mistake as the Israelites whom James was addressing in his epistle. When he became sick, just as James' readers in the New Testament, he received not because he asked amiss. Instead of going to God, he went to man and the consequences cost him his very life.

Let us be careful today that we don't make the same mistake. Instead of going to man, let's go to God. David tells us in Psalm 146:3 "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." If we go to the Lord, we are not asking amiss and we will receive.