Desperate for God's Word - Gladys' example

My daughter Abigail with her mentor Gladys

On the cusp of adulthood, my daughter Abigail witnessed a sacred moment that I pray will be forever woven into the woman she is becoming.

Abigail graduated from not only high school, but also from Joy El Generation's 4.12 Leadership Training Program (www.joyelgeneration.org<http://www.joyelgeneration.org>) in the spring of this year. Sadly, serious health problems prevented Abigail's mentor, Gladys McCrae, from attending the Joy El event, where students shared testimonies about how God changed them through the program, and mentors blessed their mentees with words, love and often tears. Gladys' absence was sorely felt, yet we knew she was praying, as she so faithfully does.

The day Abigail received her high school diploma, Gladys and her husband were also absent. Health changes had them moving into a nearby assisted living facility, where they could receive the extra help they now required.

I called Gladys to arrange a visit to her new place when Abigail would have a day off from Joy El Camps & Retreats (www.joyelcamps.org<http://www.joyelcamps.org>), where Abigail was serving as a senior counselor.

"When you come,” Gladys requested, “I think I’d like to have Abigail read to me. My eyes are keeping me from reading my Bible, and my Scripture CDs and DVDs are all at the house.” Knowing what a woman of the Word Gladys is, I could hear the longing in her voice. Together, Gladys and I made a plan for getting her Scripture CDs and DVDs to her new place, and we also expressed enthusiasm about our upcoming visit.

Abigail’s first day off from camp arrived and we went directly to visit Gladys at her new home. After seeing their new place and catching up with Gladys and her husband, Leroy, we knew our visit was drawing to a close. Abigail pulled out a Bible to read aloud to her beloved mentor. They decided on Psalm 119.

As Abigail began reading this passage extolling God’s Word, Gladys immediately relaxed onto her walker. There she sat in her chair, oxygen tubes in her nose, head rested on her arms in front of her. Her face was radiant.

Abigail read verse after verse of the precious words… “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…” “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times…”

When Abigail stumbled over a word, Gladys supplied it, clearly having saturated her mind with this passage through the years.

Abigail got tears in her eyes and tears streamed down my face for a few reasons:

1) The beauty of God’s Word and the demonstration of this passage happening right before our eyes. Gladys' soul was consumed with longing for His law!

2) The privilege it has been for my daughter to have this godly woman in her life, who has been there for Abigail and prayed for her regardless of her own life circumstances, including major health challenges and life transitions.

3) Gladys’ example. Gladys had gone a week without any form of Scripture readily available to her. Without it, she felt incomplete. When she finally heard God’s life-changing words read, her entire body responded. She relaxed into it, bathed in it, savored it.

I love God’s Word, but do I crave it like Gladys? Abigail memorizes large passages of Scripture, but does she long for it with her entire being? These were questions raised by the experience that day. And my prayer is that not only my daughter Abigail, but I myself, will remember what Gladys demonstrated to us that day: “My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.”

How are you nurturing your longing for God's Word? Have you soaked in Scripture yet today?

Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope

I lay in the comfy bed of my quiet hotel room, praying and wondering what I should do. I had met my sister-in-law in DC for the Reset 2016 event (https://reset2016.com/information/). We had shared this room, and she had left before 6 AM. I would head back home to Pennsylvania that morning, but I didn't necessarily need to rush, since my family wouldn't be home when I returned. 

Should I relax? Read? See if the hotel has a pool? Spend prolonged time with the Lord? 

Then it hit me: the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. I had wanted to see it even before it was completed. Now it had been open to the public for almost five years, and I hadn't visited yet. "Is that what I should do, Lord?" I asked. 

I knew it was meant to be. Not only that, but I sensed the Lord telling me I would pray with someone there. 

It was July 17, and our nation was roiling with racial tension. Philando Castile had recently been shot in my home state of Minnesota. Alton Sterling had been fired upon by Louisiana police, even while restrained on the ground. Hearts were breaking, anger was flaring, questions hung in the air. Were we in the early stages of the newest civil rights movement? Was it time to address systemic racism? Where did the Church fit into all of this? This had, in fact, been a great theme for prayer during the revival event I had attended just the day before. It had certainly been on my heart and in my prayers well before that. 

I hurried my getting-ready process. I did a little online searching to figure out what it would take to get there, how that would fit with my timeline. Even with the help of the Metro, I would need to do an extra hour of walking, dragging my suitcase with me. So be it. I would do it. It felt like an act of obedience. 

As I packed, checked out of the hotel, walked toward the train station, helped a lost man find his way, navigated the Metro, walked toward the monument, it all felt like a holy experience. I fellowshipped with the Lord, anticipated whom I might meet, chuckled at myself and my unique mission.

The path around the Tidal Basin was gorgeous. I paused to appreciate the view of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. 

I marveled at how breathtaking the path would be when the cherry trees were blossoming. 

My suitcase bumped along behind me.

Then the monument came into my sight: 

There he was, coming out of the rock, taking his stand. “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” (See https://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm.)

It was a powerful moment. 

I was at the monument early in the morning. For Washington, DC, there was a remarkable hush in the air. Only two other people shared the experience with me, a jogger who had turned contemplative upon entering the area, and a woman who also appeared to be reflecting deeply. Both were African Americans. My forebears came to the United States from Germany and Denmark. 

It did feel like holy ground. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a God-fearing man. He was far from perfect. In fact, he made some pretty glaring mistakes for a reverend. But he did a lot of things right too--and he was a prophetic voice for our nation—and the world. 

At a time when our nation appeared divided again, it felt right to stand in this place.

I asked the Lord, "With whom do I pray? With one of these two?" 

I worked my way through the facets of the memorial. I contemplated the meaning of the sculpture's design. 

Tears streamed down my face as I worked my way through the quotes. 

Words like this: 

and this

seemed so needed even in July 2016. My heart was breaking. 

Upon viewing the entire memorial, I sat down on a cool, stone bench, rolled my suitcase beside me, and contemplated, praying. 

The reverie was breaking. The morning stillness was slipping away. A seemingly affluent white family with backpacks cruised through, clearly making a quick stop at this memorial on their way to someplace else. 

Rollerbladers breezed in and out, circling the monument, moving on. Others funneled through, using the path as a means to another place. A park service worker tidied up the area. DC was turning back into the bustling place I knew better. The time was slipping away. I soon needed to leave in order to make it home on time to participate in my regular Sunday volunteer work. 

Suddenly, there was a moment of quiet. I didn't see anyone around. It seemed time to go. I stood up, adjusted my backpack, grabbed my suitcase, and headed toward the exit that would spit me out onto a busy thoroughfare, rather than returning by the lovely path I had taken.

As I approached the exit, the park service employee appeared from along the wall of the memorial. He pulled a rolling trash receptacle behind him, gripped a cigarette in his other hand. 

Our paths were converging. 

"Is it him, Lord?" I silently asked. 

Our paths met. This African American man looked distinguished, yet weary. He had gray streaks in his hair. We greeted each other. 

I went for it. 

"Are you a praying man?" I politely inquired. 

He looked up a little nervously. "No, ma'am," he said as he continued walking. He didn't ask, but his face said, "Why?" 

I shrugged and perhaps sighed. Maybe the smudges from tears were still on my face. "I just wanted to pray with someone about the state of our nation," I said very sincerely as I continued on my way. 

"Wait!" He called to me. "I misunderstood. Yes, I'd like to pray with you." 

I stopped, smiled, thanked him. "I will probably cry," I warned him. He nodded, and I began. I poured out my heart before the Lord for the brokenness in our land, about the ugliness in our hearts, about our craving for justice, truth, grace and hope. I entrusted our land into His holy hands. My voice caught. Tears flowed. There were some long pauses. But we prayed for our land together. And then we moved on. 

He returned to his work. I hurried to my train. Perfect strangers who will never see each other again, but who share a desire for healing and who pray toward that end. 

I walked in the freedom of obedience and from accomplishing my purpose for that morning. And I walked in hope. 

May we continually step together to pray, to hope, to understand, in our nation's capital and beyond. 

Quote memorized Scripture aloud

The end of the year is quickly approaching, as is the end of my Scripture memorization goal. I decided to memorize the book of Jude (see http://thebookoflifeblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/i-am-memorizing-book-of-bible.html), and I will have accomplished this by Christmas.

I have had to be diligent. I have studied the book so that I could maximize the value of memorizing the words. I have incorporated it into my prayers, as I recognize its relevance the world around me and my own life.

And I have practiced saying it aloud, which is crucial.

It did not take me long into my memorization of this longer passage before I realized how critical quoting it aloud was. You see, there is a difference between reciting Scripture in your head and saying it aloud. There are extra connections that need to happen in the brain to be able to get those words out of your mind and through your vocal cords to the benefit of those around you.

While I could fly through the verses during my morning jogs, I stumbled and stuttered a bit as I sought to relay the powerful verses to others in conversation.

Fortunately, I have other people in my life who value Scripture (as well as memorizing it), so I began asking people if I could quote it to them. "May I practice?" I'd ask. Or sometimes people who knew I was memorizing it asked if I would recite it to them.

This all helped me.

Specifically, saying it to others accomplished several things:

1) My mouth became used to the words flowing off my tongue.

2) I was held accountable to my timeline in memorizing.

3) I was able to share the powerful message to those around me.

Just this morning, a dear friend asked me how my memorization project was going and wanted me to quote as much of Jude as I could. As I attempted to share the first 22 verses with power, I saw her face glow, a nod here and there, and support communicated through her smile. When I was done, it was clear she had received the message. "Powerful," she said. "Amen," I responded. We agreed it was relevant to our culture today.

So I encourage you to practice saying memorized Scripture aloud, whether you're memorizing one verse or a book of the Bible. This is your opportunity to minister to others, as well as ingrain these holy words of God into your mind and mouth.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16).

Prayer for French survivors’ long-term healing

Lord, this morning the terrorist attacks that rocked Paris and the world are still at the forefront of our minds. We are praying for the people of France. We are praying for justice. We are praying for those who lost loved ones. We are part of the solidarity reflected all across social media. Yet we know, Lord, that the solidarity and resolve will soon fade, while, for many, the psychological and physical injuries will not. So this morning we take a moment to consider the future. We pray for the long-term healing that will seem elusive to many who witnessed and experienced the carnage of November 14, 2015. We pray even now for medical professionals of all related specialties (mental health, physical therapy, orthopedics, etc.,) to feel called to work with these survivors. We pray for the survivors to find the inner strength and hope to persevere on their journeys toward healing. And we pray for at least one Christ-follower in each survivor’s life to regularly come alongside him or her to point to HOPE, even when suffering seems overwhelming. Reveal yourself through this journey. Glorify yourself through healing. In Jesus’ powerful name we pray, Amen. 

For those of you who follow the book of life blog regularly and appreciate my prayer posts, I'd like to direct you to http://www.prayingtochangetheworld.com/. I created this blog specifically for these types of prayer posts. In the future, that is where I will post them. Please consider subscribing by email. 

I am memorizing a book of the Bible

 While visiting Bethlehem Baptist Church with my family this summer, we were surprised by a very unique sermon: Andy Naselli quoting the entire book of 1 Corinthians.*

That was it: just quoting the entire book of 1 Corinthians. After all, it takes about an hour. And it’s God-breathed Scripture, so what else need he add?

Naselli quoted it well. It was more of an emphatic dramalogue than a dry recitation. We were drawn into the power of the message. It was long, but it was awe-inspiring.

As we left the church and headed to our vehicle, I said to my kids, “I think I’m going to memorize a book of the Bible.” They perked up, intrigued.

“Jude,” I said.

“Mom!” they responded, making faces at me.

(For those of you who don’t know, the entire book of Jude is 25 verses.)

I was teasing my kids, but the idea stuck with me. After all, I firmly believe in memorizing Scripture. In fact, the spiritual discipline has been a consistent part of my life since I was 18.

Historically, I have had better success with memorizing shorter passages than long ones (though I have memorized chapters before), but I also believe in keeping things fresh by trying new challenges.

I thought and prayed about the idea for several weeks and then decided to go for it. I would memorize the book of Jude. Who knows, I wondered, perhaps it would inspire me to try a longer book eventually.

I am taking it slowly and steadily: two verses per week. I am on verse 10. Because my memory is not as sharp as it once was (I’m thankful I memorized lots of Scripture when I was younger, because those verses are a firm part of me now), I have to meditate on it regularly in order to make it stick. But that, my friend, is the greatest benefit of this exercise.

Though I have read Jude many times through the years, I cannot recall having studied it intently. By committing it to memory, I am learning it quite well. In fact, the first two verses alone thrilled me:

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:  May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Perhaps it’s only a greeting, but look at what that first verse tells us about ourselves: we are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ! These truths merit deep reflection and inspire joy.

Verse 2 provides a beautiful blessing I have shared frequently since memorizing it. What a blessing indeed to pass on our desire that mercy, peace and love be multiplied to someone we care about.

As Jude progresses, it addresses false teachings and illustrates a contrast between the error of heresy and the truth of Jesus Christ. This is very relevant to our culture today and has provided me much food for thought and motivation for prayer.

So I may be memorizing the fifth-shortest book of the Bible (http://overviewbible.com/the-5-shortest-books-of-the-bible-in-order/), but the truths of this oft-overlooked book are becoming part of me in a way I would have missed if I continued my pattern of briefly reading it and moving on to Revelation.

So, what do you think? What will you memorize next?

*https://www.hopeingod.org/sermon/1-corinthians

Prayer against Sex Trafficking

Lord, please open our eyes. Help us learn the signs of sex trafficking, so we can intervene when people in our lives are endangered. May we educate our children to be careful in all of their relationships—including potential ones. May our young people be attuned to the Holy Spirit when He says, “Stay away.” May they find their identities in You so they are not easily led astray toward finding their identity in something else. Give all of us a strong desire to be holy so we do not allow pornography or anything sexually perverse to take hold of our minds and hearts. May we long for intimacy with You so fiercely that we avoid impurity on every level. May we never become consumers of products that harm others. We pray for better laws, relentless investigation and effective law enforcement. Please overwhelm predators with deep conviction, helping them understand that they are not satisfying their own temporal desires, but destroying the innocent. Please show us our part to play in the battle against trafficking, whether it’s prayer, giving, advocating, healing, educating, prosecuting or all of the above. In Jesus’ powerful name, we pray, amen. 

A prayer on 9/11

Lord, today is a somber day for Americans. We remember the deaths of almost 3000 people—those who passed violently 14 years ago on this day. We remember seeing the best and worst of humanity contrasted sharply, side by side. We recall the fear and helplessness, the anger, and the repentance. And many of us still evoke the grief. Lord, may today not be only a day for sorrow, but a day for hope. May we humble ourselves, pray, seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways. May we reach out to those who suffer the long-lasting effects of the physical and emotional trauma from that day. May we reach out to our neighbors in love and service, inspired by those who risked everything 14 years ago this day. And may America desire to lead this world in goodness and grace, humility and strength. May we do what it takes personally and corporately to bless the world. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.