September 16, 2026

I Samuel 1: 11 (NIV)

And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life . . .”

We ask [for His blessing] according to His greatness and not according to our worthiness.*

Hannah lived in a society in which childless women were viewed as purposeless. To make matters worse, her husband had another wife who happened to be fertile. Year after year, Hannah had to put up with her rival’s deliberate provocation. Hannah was obsessed with having a child, even though her husband seemed to have been very supportive in spite of her barrenness. Finally, on a pilgrimage to Shiloh, “in bitterness of soul,” we read, “Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.” She made a deal with God: give her a son and she would give the son back to the Lord. This doesn’t strike me as a good deal for Hannah but it’s what she wanted so the Lord delivered (no pun intended).

While I can’t imagine myself in Hannah’s sandals, and I would caution you against negotiating with God, I have to admire her for knowing what she wanted and not being afraid to ask for it. Her bold, specific prayer puts some of my wishy-washy requests to shame. You see, I am often afraid to tell God exactly what I want because . . . I’m afraid I might get it. I know from experience that what I want for myself is not always what’s best for me. I can’t see ahead to the repercussions that might result from having my wishes fulfilled, so my prayers for myself are often vague and cowardly. This reveals something that I hate to admit: apparently, I don’t trust God to keep his promise that he will work for my good in all things (Romans 8: 28).

What about you? Are you reluctant to be bold and specific in your prayers? What prevents you from telling God what you really want? Perhaps all our excuses may be reduced to one glaring reason: we don’t trust God enough. God wants us to present our requests to him (Philippians 4: 6) and to trust him to keep his word. If the peace of God which transcends all understanding is his promise (Philippians 4: 7), why should we expect less than the best in response to our prayers?

God’s plans can be on a greater scale than our worthy, heartfelt prayers.*

September 15, 2026

Numbers 11: 11-15  (NIV)

[Moses] asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you . . . ? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? . . . Where can I get meat for . . . [them]? . . . I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now – if I have found favor in your eyes – and do not let me face my own ruin.”

It is okay to dialogue with God in raw, uncensored moments.*

There is no doubt that Moses had to put up with some situations that would try anyone’s patience. As a matter of fact, God was pretty put out with the same people who had Moses all stirred up. Verse one of this same chapter reports that when the people complained about their hardships, the Lord’s anger was aroused to the point that he sent a fire to consume some of the outskirts of the camp.

Righteous indignation is a valid emotion. No one would deny God’s right to feel it and act on it. I am not even condemning Moses’ little tantrum. But when you aren’t God and your complaints are “all about me,” shouldn’t you look for a more constructive use for such strong emotion?

While Albert A. Beach was working on the lyrics for a song, he was distracted by the vicious words coming from the couple next door. Their “hate words” were not conducive to inspiring the words to a love song, so the songwriter started “mirroring” the neighbors’ words into the opposite – and he was able to complete the lyrics to “I Wish You Love.”*

When we are tempted to whine or to react in anger, perhaps we could employ the songwriter’s little mirroring trick. What’s the opposite response to the annoying things that people do? Instead of complaining, could we count our blessings? For all that Moses had good reason to whine, wouldn’t a positive attitude have been more likely to be an influence for positive change – not to mention being more attractive? There may be a fine line between being free to bring our problems to God and giving in to whining, but what a difference it makes when we choose the high road. Righteous indignation is God’s prerogative – not ours!

Our irritability never has its roots in the soil of righteousness.*

September 14, 2026

Genesis 12: 1 (NIV)

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him.*

Abraham was important because God chose him. Or was he chosen because he was important? We assume that when God chooses people it's because he knows what they can do and what they will do. Has God ever chosen someone who didn’t meet his expectations? Moses protested, and Jonah ran away; some of the prophets had rebellious moments, but it seems they came through eventually. 

In the Bible, we read about a few special people who were called to fulfill a unique purpose. Moses and the prophets, as we have already mentioned; Mary (Luke 1: 26-38); the twelve apostles (Mark 3: 14-19); Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13: 2) – these are some of those whom God chose to perform a specific function. Where does that leave the rest of us?

Paul seems to put us in our place in I Corinthians 1: 26 and 27 where he says that not many of us were anything special by human standards when we were called; and that God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. Later, in chapter 12, verses 12 through 31, Paul rebuilds our self-esteem with his analogy of the body and how each part – even the uncomely ones – is important. We all have a role to fill, even if no one sees us doing it.

In II Timothy 1: 9, we read that we are called to a holy life. That may not seem like much compared to leading millions of people to the Promised Land, but in the light of Revelation 17: 14, it sounds pretty special: “They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” A holy life sounds like a pretty special calling if it means we get to accompany the overcomer in his victory march!

This is our calling as faithful people, to be present as the body of Christ wherever people are.*

September 13, 2026

Psalm 116: 15 (NIV)

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of living too long.*

Someone aptly put into words my thoughts as I sat through another session of prayer requests for sick old people: sometimes we seem to be praying the saints out of heaven. None of us wants to say good-bye to our beloved parents and grandparents. We certainly don’t want them to suffer. But asking God to prolong their lives is for our benefit more than theirs. Apparently, God likes it when his saints die.

Before we charge off and tell our old and dying loved ones that it’s time for them to go, let’s examine the psalmist’s words more closely and then look at how we might pray more appropriately for the infirm saints.

 

The writer does not mention age. The death of a saint of any age is precious in the Lord’s sight. No matter how, when, or where they pass, God welcomes them home. The death of a saint may be precious to the Lord but so is his life. If we think of the word precious in terms of value; and if we consider life and death in God’s terms, we begin to better understand the psalmist’s point. From our perspective, death is the end of life, but from God’s point of view, death is merely a continuation of life. We shouldn’t picture God as rejoicing because Granny died; we should see his delight in the next stage of her life – the one that will never end.

So how should we pray for the suffering saint on his deathbed? The same way we pray for everyone and everything else: according to God’s will (I John 5: 14), and in Jesus’ name (John 14: 13). You may not be ready to give up your loved one but God is ready to comfort and sustain you when you suffer loss. Let him. Your life is precious to him.

Death could be the loneliest event of all, but for a believer it leads to a family reunion.*

September 12, 2026

John 11: 48 (NIV)

“If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

What is so important to us in living in this world is often of little or no importance to God.*

The chief priests and the Pharisees used bizarre logic when they met to discuss the problems Jesus was causing them. They didn’t deny that he was performing miraculous signs, they just didn’t want everyone to believe in him. Their privileges and prestige were at risk if the Romans decided to step in. They were so concerned about their place in society that they were blinded to the significance of Jesus’ miracles. They only knew that he had to be stopped before their way of life was ruined.

Accepting Jesus as Lord can upset your status quo, too. If you have a job that requires you to be unethical in order to get ahead; if you have friends whose lifestyles aren’t compatible with a Christian’s walk; or if your family can’t believe you are serious about this religious stuff – your life is going to change. Jesus didn’t promise that the life of a Christian would be easy but he made lots of other promises (see 200+ Promises That Jesus Made for This Life and for the Life to Come, compiled by Galen Currah, from The Greatest Life Ever Lived, by Cheny and Ellisen, 1999, edited by Meltebeke and Meltebeke). In John 16: 33, Jesus offers us a good news/bad news promise: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” It will be worth it all to be a part of that revolution! Don’t be like the Pharisees and hold on to an old life of temporary fame and fortune and miss out on eternal fulfillment.

He takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life change.*

September 11, 2026

Romans 15: 30 (NIV)

I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Go where your best prayers take you.*

Paul’s readers were probably relieved that he didn’t ask them to physically join him in his struggles. There probably weren’t many in the church at Rome who would sign up to take part in Paul’s adventures: beatings, shipwrecks, bandits, hunger and thirst, constantly on the move (II Corinthians 11: 23-27). All he asked was that they pray for him.

Do you know some intrepid missionaries who covet your prayers? Do you feel a bit cowardly because that’s all you are doing for them? Perhaps your conscience is eased somewhat by your financial support. I say it’s time that prayer got the credit it’s due. Prayer is the most we can do, not the least.

I dare you to join in someone’s struggles by praying for them. You might find your cowardice replaced by a call to join that missionary in the field. When your prayers accompany your money, miraculous things happen to it. When you let a person know you are praying for him, he is encouraged to know that he is not alone in his struggle.

Pray, and unleash the Holy Spirit’s power in the life of a brave servant who has gone where you wouldn’t dare . . . yet. Who knows what can happen when you start praying?

God has invested something of great significance in prayer. It is his way of bringing about change on earth, and at the same time, bringing his children to maturity.*

September 10, 2026

Acts 26: 8 (NIV)

“Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?”

If Christ did not raise from the dead a lie has done more to civilize our world than all the truth of history.*

Paul probably meant this as a rhetorical question when he addressed it to King Agrippa at his own defense. He didn’t pause for an answer; instead, he kept talking. But we can stop right now and ask it ourselves: Why should anyone consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

The first step in believing that God can raise the dead is to believe in God. Until that foundation has been laid, the discussion can go no further. Next step: believe in the God of the Bible. Many people claim to believe in God – or in a “higher power” – but to add to or take away from his attributes is to create a false god. When we design our own god, we can believe anything we want to about him but we can’t make him act on our behalf.

A god who is not God cannot generate life nor regenerate it. If someone considers it incredible – as in, unbelievable – that God raises the dead – he needs to meet God. Not “the man upstairs” who watches us benevolently while not really involving himself in our lives. He is God the creator, sustainer, and reanimator of life. Why should anyone find that hard to believe?

No other . . . creation of God rejects him . . . and denies his  . . . existence. . . . Yet God continues to love us passionately and to remain deeply involved in our lives.*