SEP. 5, 2025

SOS prayers.

"In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me." Ps 120:1 NKJV

The three-digit emergency system has amazing capabilities. In most places in America, you need only dial those numbers to be instantly connected to a dispatcher. On a computer screen, the dispatcher instantly sees the caller's telephone number, address, and the name under which the number is listed. Also listening in on the call are police, fire, and paramedics.

A caller need not say anything once the call is made. Even rasping coughs and hysterical cries have brought a quick response. The dispatcher knows where the call is coming from, and help is sent immediately. Sometimes our situation is so urgent and desperate that we can't put it into words, so we send up the SOS prayer, "Lord, I need your help!" And help is on the way. "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear" (Isa 65:24 NKJV).

Sometimes you feel the effects of something, but you don't understand the cause and you can't explain it.

This is when the indwelling power of God's Spirit comes to your aid: "The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Ro 8:26-28 NLT).

SOS prayers "Lord, I need your help!"

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SEP. 4, 2025

How your faith can produce results (4)

"[Abraham's] faith and his actions were working together." Jas 2:22 NIV

If you really believed God's Word concerning your situation, how would you act differently? Saying you believe is just the beginning; activating your faith means preparing for the answer to arrive. Ask yourself, "If I really expected an answer to my prayers, how would I prepare for its arrival?" In Scripture, Jesus gave His disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man... planted in his field...when it grows, it...becomes a tree'" (Mt 13:31-32 NIV). The farmer may sincerely believe he can produce a mustard tree, but nothing happens until he chooses the location, prepares the soil, plants the seed, and continually waters it. Once he does all those things, he can actively watch for its appearance. So, where do you start?

(1) Pray for wisdom to make the right decisions (See Jas 1:5-7).

(2) Plan your work, and work your plan. Aimless, passive waiting for the things to materialize without thoughtful, active involvement will prove disappointing and fruitless. God uses you as His partner. "We are labourers together with God" (1Co 3:9).

(3) Break your plan into small, accomplishable action steps.

(4) Don't wait for the fear to go or the faith to grow. Be prepared to take calculated, productive risks. Feel the fear and do it anyhow!

(5) Start thanking God even before you can see the answer.

And if you should miss the bull's-eye, remember the Revolutionary War militia's response: "Ready, aim, fire!" Adjust your aim-and fire again. "[Abraham's] faith and his actions were working together." And that's still the Bible formula for success.

How your faith can produce results Activating your faith

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SEP. 3, 2025

How your faith can produce results (3)

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Jas 2:17 NIV

James asks, "What good is it...if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds…Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says...'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing...what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds" (vv.14-18 NIV).

A veritable ocean of faith without the appropriate action to follow it up is nothing more than an ocean of dead, useless faith. On the other hand, an ounce of faith that's acted upon can produce an ocean of results (See Mt 13:31-32). Action breathes life and power into your faith.

The biblical prescription for faith is simple but potent.

(1) You decide to believe in God's promise and His power to make it happen— leaving the "how and when" up to Him.

(2) You choose to act in keeping with what you believe before you see any evidence of the results.

(3) God responds to your faith by keeping His unbreakable promise. "Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Nu 23:19).

God goes to work exercising His unlimited capacity to perform His Word. Jesus said, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mk 11:24 NIV). Now—it's up to you to claim and act on His promise.

How your faith can produce results Action breathes life and power into your faith.

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