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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SEP. 2, 2025

How your faith can produce results (2)

"God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." Ro 12:3 NKJV

Thank God, faith isn't reserved for deeply spiritual people. If that was the case, we would all be in trouble! The fact is that regular people from all walks of life can be faith filled. We're inclined to think faith belongs exclusively to people like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Samuel, David, Daniel, Peter, and Paul.

Now, without question, they were all faith heroes, but faith doesn't belong solely to them. The Bible tells us, "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." No one will miss out on heaven because he or she wasn't given enough faith to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved" (See Ac 16:31).

God intended that not only should we have faith but that we should live by faith. Three times the New Testament assures us "the just shall live by faith" (Heb 10:38 NKJV).

You reply, "Yes, but those biblical heroes had great faith; my faith is so small!" Did you know that the apostles felt the same way? They said to Jesus, "Increase our faith!" (Lk 17:5 NIV). And Jesus replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea, ' and it will obey you" (v. 6 NIV.) Like so many of us, the apostles thought they needed more faith.

But Jesus corrected this spiritually crippling misperception by telling them you don't need a truckload of faith to see amazing outcomes. "Faith as small as a mustard seed" can bring about awesome results. When you put the faith, you already have been given into action, Jesus said it will produce results!

How your faith can produce results Faith as small as a mustard seed

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SEP. 1, 2025

How your faith can produce results (1)

"Faith...is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen." Heb 11:1 TLB

Faith has little to do with religion or what church you attend. The Greek definition of the word "faith" is pistis, which means a firm persuasion, a conviction based on hearing and learning. Some other words that help to define faith are trust, confidence, and believing.

And for good measure, here are a few scriptural descriptions of faith: "The confident assurance that something we want is going to happen...the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."

The Bible tells us, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (v. 6 NIV).

It also tells us, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ" (Ro 10:17 NIV).

And the apostle James writes, "Faith... not accompanied by action, is dead" (Jas 2:17 NIV).

• Faith, though it may be felt,
• isn't a feeling at all.
• The fact is, you can have faith and feel nothing,
• and you can feel nothing and still have faith.
• Nor is it related to intellectual or theological knowledge.
• Your IQ and level of education have nothing to do with your capacity to exercise faith.

Effective faith calls for an act of your will. It's a choice you make to fully embrace what God says in His Word. When that happens, it creates a heart climate that motivates you to act in keeping with what you choose to believe. That's faith in a nutshell!

How your faith can produce results Confident assurance

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AUG. 22, 2025

Advice for in-laws.

"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." Ge 2:24 NIV

In Eight Ways In-laws Can Break Up a Marriage it offers examples that should make every in-law stop and think. "

(1) When your child decides to marry, show hostility toward the person they chose. After all, it means less love for you, so you have a right to resent them.

(2) Expect them to spend weekends and holidays with you, and act hurt if they don't.

(3) If they have problems with their mate, encourage them to come home. And when they do, listen to their complaints, and point out other shortcomings they may have missed. Remember, one drop of water after another can wear away a rock.

(4) If they're having financial problems, rescue them. Beg, borrow, or steal, but let them know that as long as you're around, they'll never go without.

(5) If they have a drinking or drug problem, tell them their mate drove them to it.After all, everybody needs someone to blame.

(6) If they have an opportunity for career advancement that takes them to another city, tell them 'family' is more important than money and God will punish them for not honoring the commandment 'honor thy father and thy mother!

(7) If there are grandchildren involved, spoil them. And if the parents object, tell them to stay out of it; after all, what are grandkids for?

(8) If your child has an argument with their mate, fan the flames.

Family loyalty is a beautiful thing; with a little work, you can turn a minor argument into a major hassle and break up a marriage."

Advice for in-laws In-laws—stop and think!

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AUG. 21, 2025

God's answer to anxiety (4)

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." Isa 26:3

Dr. D. James Kennedy wrote: "A proper epitaph for most people today would be

• 'Hurried,
• worried,
• buried'...

Many times we wish we could wash our hands of all our responsibilities and worries. The executive of one small company decided he would. Even though his company was headed for bankruptcy, he decided to quit worrying about it.

So [hel called in his first vice-president and said, 'I have had it with worrying about this company. If you'll take over and handle all my worrying for me, I'll add $50,000 to your salary. Startled and perplexed by this generous offer (and knowing the financial condition of the company), the vice-president asked, 'But where are you going to get an extra $50,000?' The boss replied, 'That's your first worry!' William Gladstone, [one of England's] greatest prime minister[s], was a fine Christian man who served the Lord. On the wall of his bedroom hung a plaque embroidered with this text: 'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee!

It was the first thing Gladstone saw when he awoke in the morning and the last thing he saw before retiring at night.

There is the secret of peace!

We can have this peace because we know that the One upon whom we've stayed our minds is the One who works all things together for our good.

Is the frantic pace of modern life robbing you of peace today? If so, slow down and refocus on the Lord. Realize He's with you and He's in control no matter what comes your way. Stay your mind on Him and let Him grant you His peace."

God's answer to anxiety "Hurried, worried, buried"

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AUG. 20, 2025

God's answer to anxiety (3)

"All the days of the desponding...are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings]." Pr 15:15 AMPC

One Christian author writes: "I once went through a period...when I was plagued by anxiety. I was filled with fear and dread for no particular reason. I kept feeling something terrible was going to happen.

Finally I went to the Lord and asked Him what was troubling me. He told me it was 'evil forebodings! At the time I didn't even know what that phrase meant or where it came from. Sometime later I came across Proverbs 15:15: 'All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]' (AMPC)...

l was like so many other people. I was looking for some 'monster problem' that was keeping me from enjoying life. I was so intense about everything; I was creating problems for myself where none really existed. Once in a meeting, the Lord told me to speak out something.

Apparently, someone needed to hear this: 'Stop making a big deal out of nothing.' I used to be the type of person who needed to hear directions like that. I could make mountains out of molehills. I had to learn to just let some things go-forget them and go on. Some of us become upset over things that are just not worth becoming upset over-those 'little foxes, that spoil the vines' (SS 2:15).

If our lives consist of becoming upset over one little thing after another...we won't have much peace or joy." So, the word for you today is-cultivate a happy heart and start enjoying the life God has given you!

God's answer to anxiety Let some things go.

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