…pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  James 5:16

Life is busy. And because of that, we all prioritize our days. We also prioritize our prayers. When we take time to pray, we want to make sure we get our wants and needs mentioned before we run out of time or get interrupted. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as we make sure we balance it out. And one way we do that is to consistently pray for others.  When we step outside of ourselves and think of others when we pray, many of us focus on those we know and love. But how often do we remember to pray for the people we know and don’t love, or those we’ll never meet or even see?  To lead a righteous life also means that we’re not me-centric. God hears all prayers and answers them in His way and in His time. But how much more effective and powerful are the prayers of a righteous man? Think of the power and effectiveness you could have through your prayers. They could stretch the globe and change people’s lives because of the time and effort you took to simply pray for them.

Dear Lord, As I pray, I don’t want to be me-centric. Help me to focus not only on my family and friends, but also on people who l may never meet. And I have faith that as I pray for them, You will work powerfully and effectively in their lives as well as in mine. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ  from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

A couple from Chicago was planning a vacation to a warmer climate, but the wife couldn’t join her husband until the next day, because she was on a business trip. Her husband scribbled down her e-mail address on a little scrap of paper, but upon his arrival, he discovered that he had lost it. He wanted to send off a quick e-mail to let her know he had arrived safely. So trying his best to remember her e-mail address, he composed a brief message and sent it off.

Unfortunately, his e-mail didn’t reach his wife. Instead, it went to a grieving widow who had just lost her husband, a preacher, the day before. She had gone to her computer and was checking her e-mail when she let out a loud shriek and fainted on the spot. Her family came rushing in to see what was on the screen: “Dearest wife, I just checked in. Everything is prepared for your arrival tomorrow. P. S.: It sure is hot down here!”

The good news is that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to be afraid of that real place that’s “hot down there.” In fact, we don’t even have to fear death. Because Christ died and rose again from the dead, we know that for us as believers, there is life beyond the grave.

If that were all the resurrection did for us, it would be worth the price of the ticket. Of course, we didn’t buy the ticket. Christ did. But if all that Christianity offered was the hope of life beyond the grave, it still would be worth it to be a Christian.

But there is a whole lot more that the resurrection has for us. Our risen Lord will give us a new heart and put a new spirit within us (see Ezekiel 36:26). He will give us new knowledge, new comfort, new peace, and a new life in Him.

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

Are you discouraged today? Afraid of an uncertain future? The Bible tells the story of a time when Jesus’ disciples were not only discouraged, but they were afraid for their very lives.

Jesus had told them to get into a boat and go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and they obeyed. But when they were a considerable distance from land, a fierce storm arose that terrified them. Jesus, who had been on a mountain praying, went to meet the disciples, walking on the water. Thinking He was a ghost, the disciples cried out in fear. So Jesus immediately told them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

There are two simple reasons the disciples didn’t have to be afraid: First, Jesus would help them weather the storm. And second, He had told them to go to the other side, which meant that they would reach the other side.  Jesus knows where you are at this very moment. He knows what you are experiencing. He is telling you to be courageous, because He is with you and there is a brighter tomorrow for you. Even if you have failed, even if you have made a mistake, it isn’t over. You can still learn from that mistake and get out of the situation in which you find yourself.  God has a future for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11, one of my all-time favorite verses, says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God will complete the work He has begun in your life.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  2 Corinthians 4:10

Palm Sunday has arrived. I’ve made it this far through Lent, but I don’t want to live through readings of the biblical accounts of the trial, the crowd chanting “Crucify!” yet again, and the horrible walk to the cross and Jesus’ death. This week is too hard. This year I’d like to just skip the stories of betrayal and pain and go straight to Easter.  But it doesn’t work that way. What a naturalist in Alaska once told me helps me to see why. It seems that birds, wind, and water throw seeds and nutrients onto barren glacial rock. If the rock has even small openings, it holds on to what’s tossed there and begins to sustain new life. Small life comes first, then medium-sized life, and finally trees. But if trees come too early, they lack what is needed for survival and die.

My experience of Holy Week resembles the way the rock receives new life. Maybe we have to open ourselves to absorb what Holy Week has to teach us. Then those small beginnings grow into deeper understandings as the events of the week unfold. If we were to go straight from Palm Sunday to Easter, maybe we wouldn’t become the soil that sustains new life. I wish there were a shortcut to Easter, but there isn’t. So let the stories be told again this year, and may we be open to the growth they can bring.

God of the journey, help us to absorb the nourishment of challenging and difficult times so we may continue to grow in you. Amen.

“Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’”   Matthew 15:28

I used to covet others’ faith. I’d watch the spiritual “giants” in my church and community and wonder why they were given a greater faith than me. It didn’t seem fair. Even worse were people with great faith who never seemed to have any type of adversity. Do you know the kind of people I’m describing?  One day, I decided to get to know a person with obvious great faith. I think it was one of the best things I’ve done to increase my own faith. The first thing I learned was people with great faith got it from their abundance of trials, not from their lack of trials. Trusting God in one trouble gave them courage to trust Him in another. Before they knew it, they had developed great faith in God. Great faith didn’t happen overnight; it was a process.  Through the course of trusting God, we discover several things about great faith.  First, it leads to great undertakings. Take the Gentile woman with a demon-possessed daughter found in Matthew 15 – pause to read her story if you can. She cried out for Jesus to heal her daughter, but she received no response.  This action on Christ’s part can seem confusing. Therefore, it is important to know that this woman was not only a Gentile, but was of Canaanite descent. The Canaanites were an immoral people God had commanded Israel to completely destroy during their invasion of Canaan under the command of Joshua. Israel did not fully obey God’s order and some Canaanites survived the invasion. This woman was their descendant. Nonetheless, this didn’t stop her from appealing to Jesus for mercy and help.  Annoyed by her attempts, the disciples urged Jesus to send her away. She was a nuisance to them, but to Jesus the woman was an example of great faith. She was determined to do whatever was necessary to get what she needed.

 Great faith also brings about great expectations. If you’re like me, you often don’t expect great results from your labors and prayers.  This is because we lack faith. This was not true of the Gentile woman. She expected the Savior to heal her daughter.  That’s not all. Great faith awakens great earnestness. This woman didn’t play by the rules so to speak. She didn’t care what others thought about her actions. Crying, she fell at the feet of Jesus and worshiped Him. I’ve seen this kind of earnestness in others with great faith as well. They pray with persistence until God moves.  Great faith conquers great difficulties. The woman kept on pursuing Jesus even though He reminded her of her position as a Gentile, not a Jew. Christ responded to her begging, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs” (vs.26).  In other words, why should He give her, a Gentile, what He had come to give the Jews?

 Her answer to that was to agree with Him, “Yes, Lord.” And then throw herself on His mercy again by adding, “…even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (vs. 27). She understood that even one morsel of God’s power was more than enough to heal her daughter. Pleased with her faith, Jesus commended her.  Finally, great faith achieves great victories. Jesus rewarded the woman’s faith by healing her daughter. Our difficulties can be overcome by expressing great faith in Christ’s mercy and love, which provide for our needs.  Great faith isn’t given to some and not to others. It is a choice we make to trust and pursue God even when at first there appears to be no response.

 Dear Lord, my circumstances call for great faith. Today, I’m ready to undertake whatever I need to do in this situation. I expect You to hear and respond to all my concerns. With earnestness, I promise to seek Your will in this area so that I may be more than a conquer. Victory is already mine because I trust in You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Jesus prayed, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”   John 17:15

I know the Easter story well. I have read the accounts in the gospels many times. Basically, Jesus loved us, suffered for us, died for us and rose to make a place for us with God. This year, however, I saw in my reading one more amazing blessing: Jesus prayed for us. Tucked in the middle of the Easter story, in Luke 22:32, the Bible tells us that Jesus prayed for Simon Peter, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.” The 17th chapter of John’s Gospel gives us Jesus’ prayer that his disciples and all Christian believers be united as one in the loving family of God.  I had never thought before about Jesus praying for us. I know he prayed for his enemies to be forgiven. I know he prayed for his disciples. But I am humbled to think that Jesus prayed for me to stay strong in my faith. Jesus Christ, our advocate, prays for us to make wise choices. Not only did Jesus die so our sins would be forgiven; he also prayed for us to withstand the enticements that can lead us into sin. We who follow Christ are truly blessed.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and your prayers, and for giving your life for our sins. Even when we feel unworthy, help us to remember that through you we are beloved members of God’s family. Amen.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)

People always knew where they stood with Martha. That’s what I like about her. After Lazarus died, she said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” That was classic Martha, calling it as she saw it. She was disappointed, but she was honest.  So what did Jesus say? “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).  After He had also spoken to Mary, Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb. The same voice that spoke creation into existence spoke beyond the veil that separated eternity from life on Earth. Only Jesus could call to the other side of eternity and be heard.  You would think this would be the miracle that would convert everyone. John tells us, “Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharises and told them the things Jesus did” (verses 45-46).  Ultimately they decided to put Jesus to death. It just goes to show that miracles—signs and wonders—won’t necessarily convert a person. What will bring people to faith in Christ is the message of the gospel, the recognition that we are all sinners and have sinned against a holy God. But God loves us so much He sent His own Son to die on the cross in our place, and take all the sin of the world upon Himself.

Salvation is the greatest miracle of all.

The LORD said to Solomon, “If you walk before me, as your father David walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne, as I made covenant with your father David.”   2 Chronicles 7:17-18

Anyone who reads about the building of the temple will see what a fine structure it was. King Soloman ordered the finest cedar and cypress for the timbers. He hired stonecutters to cut stone from the hills; artisans to work in bronze, silver, and gold; and weavers to make the finest fabrics and linen.  Solomon asked for God’s blessing on the temple and prayed that God would make it holy. In return, God asked Solomon to keep the holy laws and ordinances. God wanted Solomon to dedicate his heart, not just to build a beautiful temple. God wanted a relationship with Solomon and the people.  A place of worship may be functional and plain, or it may have inspiring art on its walls, elaborate decoration, candles on the altar, and more. Is the right decor enough to please God? No.  God wants relationship with us — to share our burdens, to guide us in times of trouble, to rejoice with us.

Lord God, we need you in our lives. Come into our hearts today. Amen.

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. (John 11:33)

At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus surveyed the scene. Mary, Martha, and the others were all weeping and mourning. And Jesus wept. Tears rolled down His cheeks.Jesus wept tears of sympathy for Mary and Martha and for all of the sorrow caused by sin and death through all the long centuries of human existence. The Bible says that He was “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). When you have lost someone you love, He knows and understands the pain and hurt deep inside your soul. Maybe other people will never completely understand, but Jesus has wept with you.

His tears were also tears of sorrow for Lazarus. Those tears were for one who had known the bliss of heaven and now would have to return to a wicked earth, where he would have to die all over again. Jesus also wept tears for the unbelief of the people: “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33). Jesus was troubled. And He was angry.

The ravages of sin in the world He had created stirred deep emotion in His heart. His wonderful original plan, His perfect creation, had been deeply marred by sin. Death was a part of the curse, and it angered Jesus to see the devastating effect sin had on humanity.  Some may wonder, Well, why doesn’t He do something about it? He has. He went to the cross of Calvary and died for our sins so that death doesn’t have to be the end. There is life beyond the grave for the Christian. There is something beyond… something we can look forward to.  And it’s all because He laid down His life to rescue us.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Will we know one another in heaven? I can’t give a definite answer to that question, because the Bible doesn’t specifically address this, although it does say we will know as we are known (see 1 Corinthians 13:12).

For the time being, I don’t have a complete knowledge of life beyond this life. The fact of the matter is, there’s so much about the person of God, His ways, and His dwelling place that I don’t know. But one day in a new body, I will see Him face-to-face, and all of my questions will be answered. The apostle Paul had a remarkable experience in which he died and then was revived (see Acts 14:19-20). This wasn’t a near-death experience; Paul literally died. But he didn’t write a book about it or go on the talkshow circuit. He basically said, “I was caught up in the third heaven and heard things that I can’t even describe to you, but it was paradise” (see 2 Corinthians 12:2). That’s all he would say.

It does appear, however, that we will recognize one another in heaven. After all, when Moses and Elijah met with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples recognized them immediately. So you might ask, “How will I know you if I’m looking for you?” Well, look for the guy with the full head of brand-new hair. That will be me.

Yes, someday very soon we will be with the Lord. And though we don’t know a great deal about heaven now, we can be sure its reality will exceed our wildest dreams. We will see the Lord and we will see one another. And all of the mysteries will be solved.