A Brief But Powerful Prayer

Posted on June 24, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

This week’s words for the week are a brief but powerful prayer from Robert Louis Stevenson.

Give us grace and strength to persevere. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind. Spare to us our friends and soften to us our enemies. Give us the strength to encounter that which is to come, that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath and in all changes of fortune, and down to the gates of death loyal and loving to one another.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Being faithful in the smallest things is the way to gain, maintain and demonstrate the strength needed to accomplish something great. — Alex Harris

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Rise, Shine, You People

Posted on June 23, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

“Come, celebrate, your banners high unfurling, Your songs and prayers against the darkness hurling. To all the world go out and tell the story, Of Jesus’ glory.

“Tell how the Father sent His Son to save us. Tell of the Son, who life and freedom gave us. Tell how the Spirit calls from ev’ry nation, His new creation.”

After hearing various popular opinions concerning His identity, Jesus asked His disciples, But who do you say that I am? With an answer revealed by God the Father, Peter confessed, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. That great confession was the rock-solid foundation on which Jesus would build His church and, He said, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (see Matthew 16:15-18).

Hell’s prince, Satan, prowls around like a lion, seeking to devour us, and we are told to resist him. Yet this is not only a defensive war. We are the body of Christ on earth, members of the church militant, the fighting church. We are on the offensive, storming the gates of hell. Those gates cannot hold out against us, because we are armed by the Spirit of God — armed with a story.

Hurling our songs and prayers against the darkness, we wield the sharp, two-edged sword of the Word, the good news of all Jesus Christ has done for our salvation. The story tells of the Father’s love for the world He created, the love of His beloved Son, sent to save us. Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, offered up His life as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Out of every nation, the Holy Spirit calls people to faith through the Gospel, making each a new creation through the water and Word of Baptism.

The story seems to be a simple one, summed up so profoundly in the familiar words: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Yet there is nothing simple about it. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16b). Its power is both hidden and revealed in the helpless Infant in a manger bed and in the weak, suffering Victim on a cross. This is the power of God which through our songs and prayers the Gospel story is hurled against the darkness. It is the darkness of sin and death, the darkness of the tomb. But our victory is assured because we are fighting a battle that has already been won — through an empty tomb — because our Lord Jesus passed through the death and darkness and overcame it all. The gates of hell cannot prevail against us, because He has conquered and we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37b).

Do you find it hard to be enthused about certain things — even though they’re good things? Why?

Does knowing Jesus conquered Satan inspire you to tell others about it? Should it?

Sometimes praising and thanking God is tough to do. How do you do this when you don’t feel like it?

Lord Jesus, You have conquered, and by faith Your victory is ours. Strengthen us for the fight, and arm us with the Spirit’s sword. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler and offered by Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministry. It is based on the hymn, “Rise, Shine, You People,” which is quoted above. Dr Geisler is a former Lutheran elementary school teacher and principal. A graduate of Concordia University in Seward, NE, she has earned master’s degrees in school administration and theology from Concordia University in Irvine, CA. She has a doctorate in historical theology from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO. She has written devotions for Portals of Prayer and religion curricula for Concordia Publishing House. Most recently, Geisler won the 2015 LCMS Disaster Response Hymn Contest with her song, “Lord and Savior, Do You Hear Us?”

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Pessimism removes the possibility of winning from the list of options for our lives. Never give up or stop reaching for your dreams.

 

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Power of Prayer

Posted on June 22, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

As we build this community prayer platform, with help from the #PrayerWarriors team, we ask the Lord to listen to our petitions with full confidence they not only are heard but acted upon by God according to His holy will. These requests are on my prayer list and I hope you consider putting them on yours as you place your petitions before the Lord Sunday.

As we approach the throne room, let’s remember to respond with faith and not fear, knowing the promises of God and His mighty hand will hold us through any situation! Sometimes, all it takes is just one prayer to change everything. Something extraordinary happens when two or more agree together in prayer.

Jackie’s rotator cuff repair surgery went well. She is recuperating at home for the next six weeks.

Lord, we lift up Dave who probably won’t be getting out of hospice after all. He is declining very rapidly. We lift up his family as well.

LoLo needs  prayers. She is frustrated and in a lot of back pain.

DeBorah offered a praise and prayer request. Her blood pressure is now under control and her headaches have stopped. She is taking her meds every day. She is asking for prayers as she deals with the IRS and a levy due by June 30, plus other expenses to avoid losing the contents of her storage unit, which includes her Army uniforms and medals and  personal items from her parents.

Nancy is asking for prayers following major surgery.

Dani needs her prayer warriors for her  family. She says, “We really need this potential change in our lives.”

Kendal is very, very sick from the chemo. Pray! Pray! Pray!

Please join Bill in prayer asking God to send a job his way. Homeless in 20 days.

Erica’s aunt and godmother has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Summer asks for prayer. Every night the uncomfortable feeling in her knee turns into excruciating pain.

Rev. Kevin is facing the toughest challenge of his life, and so far he’s been facing it alone with his two dogs. He has chronic kidney disease, crippling arthritis, neuropathy, a totally pinched sciatic nerve, and his right hip is bone on bone and extremely painful. He needs an electric wheelchair, other medical needs, co-pays, living expenses, and to get the dogs their current vet care. He needs prayers.

We heard of  a number of deaths this week and there were a host of unspoken prayer requests.

We come to You, Lord, because prayer is the least yet the greatest thing we can do for each other. When two or more are gathered in Your name, we confidently know You are with us. What better company can we have? You reign and we trust You! We may be broken and battered but know You heal and quiet the soul. You are the source for all that happens in our lives. We thank You for the progress being made. We thank You for the many blessings we have received this week — some we unfortunately didn’t notice. Nonetheless, those blessings are ever-present in our lives. We thank You for healing. We thank You for slowing us down. We thank You for providing us our daily needs — no more and no less. We thank You for being with us, listening to us, walking with us on this journey. We thank You for the support of our family and friends … for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary — sunrises, sunsets, flowers, kids laughing, adventures, good news amid the bad news. We also know we can come to You with our concerns and they will be heard. Through Christ all things are possible. We lift up those family members and friends who are battling various physical, emotional, financial, career or spiritual issues and ask not for Your guidance and healing (although that would be welcomed) but to keep reminding us we are not alone in our battles. Specifically we lift up Dave, LoLo, DeBorah, Nancy, Dani, Kendal,Bill, Erica’s aunt/godmother, Summer, Rev. Kevin, and all those needing Your healing touch. We pray for the families of all those You have called home. We grieve … You celebrate. We pray for obedience to Your Will so Your “Son” Light shines through us through the power of the Spirit. And we come to You through the confidence of the words taught by Your Son Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Keep your joys and concerns coming. They have been and will be included during my prayer time and I trust they will be on your lips as well as you approach the altar. All it takes is a couple of keystrokes under the “Contact Me” button on the top bar {or to the right if you’re not a follower yet}. I hope it becomes your best friend as you navigate around the site so we can all be viable prayer warriors. You can also comment or reach me at wisdomfromafather@gmail.com.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Bitterness and resentment steal what they have no right to take … our peace, our joy, our fullness of life.

 

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Five Minute Friday — Question

Posted on June 21, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Five Minute Friday time.We’ll get to that in a  few after our regularly scheduled advertisements about the mechanics of Five Minute Friday and a plug on it’s value from Colleen.

You know the drill. I’ll post, link at Kate’s place (fiveminutefriday.com/) and scan through the incredible work of my fellow writers. And, as I always say, you should try it as well — both writing and contributing or at least visiting the sites of this talented crew.

I’ve also been sharing other takes on the value of the exercise, taken from snippets found in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat as an added inducement to join in. Here’s Colleen’s take.

“The Five Minute Friday community has encouraged me to take up the pen when I thought I had no words; to seek friendship when I thought it was out of my reach; and to be brave when I was certain my courage was failing. This is not just a writing group, it is a sisterhood [and brotherhood] that constantly reminds me we are better together.”

So, there you have it. Five Minute Friday is so much more than just words. It’s friendship. It’s community. It’s empowerment.

The prompt this week is QUESTION. The timer has been set, so I guess it’s time to let the neurons out to roam free. GO …

Over the years, I have answered many questions. Sometimes, I really knew the answer. Other times I took an educated guess. Often I was just winging it based on my experiences.

But when it comes time to ferry across the Jordan and visit the Throne Room, there will be just two relevant questions. Our Father will look me straight in eyes and ask, “Do you know My Son?”

Like all those who profess to be Christians, I will answer affirmatively.

Then He will glance to His right and ask His Son, “Do You know this servant?”

I suspect some of the profession Christians will be winnowed, but I expect an affirmative answer.

With those formalities out of the way, the fun will begin. I will be free to ask those pressing questions that have nagged me all my life. Of course, some of them will be related to the theological and philosophical. If this salvation thing is so simple, why is it so hard for us numskulls to understand it? Why are there so many distortions to the truth? Why did You pick that time and place to enter our … STOP

… world? Why not sooner? Or later? Why can’t humans just get along?

But there are other more mundane questions as well. Why is the grass green and the sky blue? {I’m expecting an answer like “You do know there was such a thing as Google in your lifetime, right?”} Who determined the color scheme of the rainbow and why? Why do rabbits live in holes? What do cows think about when they’re grazing? Why am I fascinated by flannel? Especially bright large checked flannel? Why didn’t You give me a talent for, I don’t know, carpentry? Or electronics? Or maintaining my car? Why writing?

And, of course, I’ll finally have the question answered about which came first, the chicken or the egg.

I’m thinking it’s okay to have questions … theological, philosophical, silly and mundane. What questions — serious and silly — would you like answered?

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: If you want to reach Mount Olympus, make sure every step you take is in that direction. — Socrates

 

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A 1,000 Random Ramblings

Posted on June 20, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

I don’t know if this is a celebratory post or a venue to offer my condolences. This marks my 998th blog post. I intended to share the news of No. 1,000 on its actual anniversary date but it coincides with our Prayer, Care, Share segment Saturday and I didn’t think it would be appropriate.

As the numbers started ticking up I couldn’t help but reflect on the last almost seven years of blogging. {My Lord, has it been that long?} I’ve shared a lot of words over that time — well over a half million. {I didn’t count them but 1,000 times an average of 500. I think the math is still good.} That’s a lot of hot air coming from the free-wheeling neurons!

I use the word share because, even from day one, the goal wasn’t to push my views but involve you — readers and followers — in the intimacies of my life. My goal was and is to share my thoughts {as crazy as they sometimes are}, to share my faith walk {the soul of the  blog},  to share my accomplishments and defeats {the heart of the blog}.

Throughout our time together I’ve tried to not only entertain and inform you, but involve  you by weaving words that resonate with you. I’ve had no agenda.

I guess the formula has worked. With each little tweak I found new audiences tuning in.

On day 1, I wrote, “I have no idea what I will write about. I have thousands of ideas collected over the years, but sharing those ideas with strangers (who I hope will soon become friends!) is the challenge. That’s where you come in. I need feedback. I need suggestions.”

You have met the challenge. You’ve offered valuable feedback and suggestions over the years — well over 3,000 comments from around the world. You responded favorably to my reflections about my life with Karen and life after her death. I saw the follower numbers steadily increase as we embarked on our Wednesday Writing exercise that resulted in publication of Heaven Shining Through. Joining Five Minute Friday introduced me — and you — to an amazing group of talented writers. Over the years about a third of my posts were part of the five minute writing exercise. I  am so thankful I was welcomed into the group! This year’s tweak to include a week-long menu of topics — Sunday Sermonette … Words for the Week … Readin’ Riting’ and ‘Rithmetic … Midweek Mirth … Life and Love … Five Minute Friday … Prayer, Care, Share — forced a daily presence. My entrance in the book publishing field opened new doors and opportunities to expand through an increased presence on social media. There are now three published books — Heaven Shining Through, the novella that kicked it off; My Name Is Sam … and Heaven Is Still Shining Through, the novel inspired by the novella; and Wisdom From a Father … One Dad’s Thoughts on Life, a non-fiction work based on this blog.

To show you how this little venture has taken off, I had a scant 114 visitors in those first three months of posting and most of them were family and close friends. Last year, there were  5,179 visitors from 66 countries. Thus far in not quite half a year, I’ve had 3,315 visits. I now have 856 followers here, 578 Twitter followers and 419 Facebook friends on my personal page and 95 on my Facebook author page.

In my intro, I  noted I had thousands of random, rambling thoughts. Well, you have about 1,ooo already … and there are more in there, so, thank you for your past support and here’s to the next milestone! Keep your comments and suggestions coming!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. — Forrest Gump

 

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Midweek Mirth

Posted on June 19, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

One of the misconceptions about being a Christian is non-Christians think we don’t know how to have fun or have a sense of humor. Trust me, if the Big Guy can have a sense of humor when it comes to dealing with us mere mortals, so can we.

The difference for Christians is we don’t have to debase ourselves or others to generate a smile. Laughter at life or ourselves is a gift from God.

So, let’s smile a little!

Midweek Mirth:

The Memory Test

Three elderly men are at the doctor’s office for a memory test. The doctor asks the first man, “What is three times three?”

“274,” came the reply.

The doctor rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling, and says to the second man, “It’s your turn. What is three times three?”

“Tuesday,” replies the second man.

The doctor shakes his head sadly, then asks the third man, “Okay, your turn. What’s three times three?”

“Nine,” says the third man.

“That’s great!” says the doctor. “How did you get that?”

Simple,” he says, “just subtract 274 from Tuesday.”

And now for the bonus …

Help?

One summer evening a young son came in while his parents were setting the table for supper. Quite surprisingly, he asked if he could help. His mother said, “No, but I appreciate you asking.”

The child responded, “Well, I appreciate you saying no.”

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Life is the art of drawing without an eraser. — John W. Gardner

 

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Shameless Self Promotion … I Hate It

Posted on June 18, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

One of the things I’ve learned from my book publishing experiences is the necessity of self promotion. I hate it. It’s a necessary evil. I hate it.

I don’t mind talking about my writing projects. I’ll answer any questions thrown at me. I don’t even mind talking about myself. But to “sell” my work and self? I hate it. A salesman I am not.

But it is a necessary step in the process. The books need readers outside my comfort zone and my individual circle. Unfortunately it means press releases, pitches, social media presence. It means repetition — the same message over and over. If you think you become frustrated by the  never-ending references to my books, pity me. I have to post them … and wait … and wait … and wait. The theory is if each member of your circle, your base, your followers on various platforms share your message with just one of the members in their circle, base or followers the “reach” of the original message increases exponentially. It’s tedious work. It’s necessary but it is tedious and, by the way, have I told you I hate it?

With all that said, here is some shameless self promotion. My Name Is Sam … and Heaven Is Still Shining Through is now available on Amazon for pre-release at Amazon as an e-book or paperback. Sam is an expansion of the novella Heaven Shining Through, my first venture into the world of book publishing. Between the two fictional pieces, I published a non-fiction Wisdom From a Father … One Dad’s Thoughts on  Life which was an updated collection of short stories that first appeared on this blog.

Wisdom is still trying to find its way on the Amazon charts. Those who have read it like it. It just hasn’t found its audience yet since it’s not really a devotional, it’s not really a Christian book {although it is based on my Christian faith} and it’s not really religious or spiritual. I personally think it’s worth reading, although I will admit I might be biased.

I’m really excited about Sam. I listened to my reviewers who clamored for more … more depth … more development … more and new details. I turned the novel into a fictional memoir and hope readers will visit with Sam like an old friend over a cup of coffee or tea or a cold drink and sit comfy on the couch or beach as she shares a lifetime  of memories.

All of you in one way or another have kept me focused, sometimes with a well-timed prayer, other times with an encouraging word. I ask for your continued thoughts, words and prayers. After all, the focus of all my books have been providing a platform for God’s light to shine.

Most of you have read my books or followed my blog. I ask you to consider reading this latest work.

Many of you have reviewed or highlighted either Heaven Shining Through or Wisdom From a Father. I ask you to consider reviewing or highlighting the new novel as well. Pre-release PDF copies are available. Just let me know at wisdomfromafather@gmail.com

Some of you have hosted public or small group presentations. I hope to do that again. If your book club, social club, church fellowship or local bookstore is  looking for a  guest speaker, let me know. If you want to get a small group together over light refreshments at your home, let me know. I hope to focus on New Jersey (northern and shore area in mid-July), Ohio (greater Dayton in late July), upstate New York (Finger Lakes region in early August), and anywhere else in between. I would love to talk to you about the possibilities! Just let me know at wisdomfromafather@gmail.com.

So, that’s my shameless self promotion. Sorry.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. — Charles Spurgeon.

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How Much Do You Want It To Be?

Posted on June 17, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

Our words for the week are from Michael Josephson of Character Counts.

The founder of a company needed to choose his successor. He studied resumes and talked to references, but he decided to ask only one question during the final interview: “How much is 2 + 2?”

Ann, the first candidate, worried there was a trick, but she answered straightforwardly. “There’s only one correct answer: four.”

Terry, who had an engineering background, was more creative. “Depending on whether you’re dealing with positive or negative numbers,” he said, “the answer could be plus four, zero, or minus four.”

Chuck, the last candidate, looked the founder in the eye and whispered, “How much do you want it to be?”

While Ann and Terry took different approaches, their intention was to give an honest answer. Chuck, on the other hand, wanted the founder to know he was willing to say or do whatever it takes to succeed. Some employers may find this combination of creativity and moral flexibility highly attractive.

I’d show him the door.

You see, Chuck is a manipulator and rationalizer, and they don’t make good employees. They search for excuses rather than solutions. They’re more concerned with looking good than doing it right.

People like Chuck, who are adept at inventing justifications that sound good but aren’t true, are simply clever liars. Eventually they’ll be found out. Remember, an employee who will lie for you will lie to you.

Without conscience there’s no credibility; without credibility there’s no trust; and without trust there’s no future.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

© 2009 Josephson Institute of Ethics. Josephson, one of the nation’s leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Success doesn’t depend on your past or current circumstances. Success depends on your willingness to do what’s required to become successful, and the day you act on that willingness is your first step toward success. — Joachim de Posada

 

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Now That I Have Failed

Posted on June 16, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

We have all failed at something in our lives, perhaps many times. There is such pressure for us to “succeed” that we often “fail” to realize there are some benefits to failing.

Some people are so fearful of failing they simply will not try a different course of action; will not take a calculated risk; will not attempt something new. Many people are plagued by something the experts have called atychiphobia.

Atychiphobia is the abnormal, unwarranted and persistent fear of failure. However, you don’t have to suffer from atychiphobia, as this is a choice. The fear of failing is an obsession that develops in the subconscious mind. It has been transported into a person’s mind by some distress or traumatic situation. This has caused the person fail to see any options to move forward. Therefore, they lose confidence. They fear making decisions. They see little or no hope of ever succeeding.

To this I desire to encourage you today. Did you know some very famous and highly successful people had failed frequently in their road to success? This should encourage you to realize that we can benefit from what the world calls failure.

Did you know …

Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb.

Babe Ruth, who held both the single season and career home-run records also failed 1,330 times by striking out!

Michael Jordan said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”  In spite of all his failings, he is still considered to be the best basketball player of all time by many people.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States failed in many endeavors during his life. But Lincoln simply refused to quit! He is probably the greatest example of persistence. Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.

Here is a sketch of his path to the White House …

  • 1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
  • 1818 His mother died.
  • 1831 Failed in business.
  • 1832 Ran for state legislature – lost and also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
  • 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
  • 1834 Ran for state legislature again – won.
  • 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
  • 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
  • 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.
  • 1840 Sought to become elector – defeated.
  • 1843 Ran for Congress – lost.
  • 1846 Ran for Congress again – this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job.
  • 1848 Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.
  • 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
  • 1854 Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.
  • 1856 Sought the vice-presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – got less than 100 votes.
  • 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost.
  • 1860 Elected president of the United States.

Please understand that I am dealing with a wide range of failings. My thesis is simple: How can we come back after a failing and ensure we will do a better job the next time? What safeguards can we put into place to prevent this from happening again? What can we learn to make us wiser, better, stronger? How can I be restored to a place of usefulness and productivity for God after a failing?

Sometimes we must actually fail in order to succeed.

To a great degree, how we deal with our present failings will determine our future success. A person who achieves any measure of success understands a person may fail without ever being a failure. Failings are often the steps upon which one must climb in order to bring the previously hidden knowledge into their lives. It was Albert Einstein who said, “Insanity consists of doing the same thing over and over and hoping for different results.”  One of the most treasured characteristics we have is the ability to learn how to evaluate our experiences. Simply failing brings no value into our lives. However, successfully evaluating our experiences will add enormous value to our lives.

One only becomes a failure when they make the failing the final chapter in their book of life.

It was Dr. Jack Hyles, who shared a great Biblical principle when he said a person could “fail without being a failure.”  You can fail without being a failure!

Jim Kilgore has been an Independent Baptist preacher since he started preaching. He is married to Bonnie and they are the parents of six children and 16 grandchildren.  He has a calling and passion to win souls on the foreign field and to plant churches from those won to Jesus Chris, on all Seven Continents. His sending Church is Calvary Baptist Church, Crawfordsville, IN. The original article can be found at http://jimkilgoreministries.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/now-that-i-have-failed-what-is-next-3/

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer. — Mahatma Gandhi

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Dear Father God

Posted on June 15, 2019 by wisdomfromafather

As we build this community prayer platform, with help from the #PrayerWarriors team, we ask the Lord to listen to our petitions with full confidence they not only are heard but acted upon by God according to His holy will. These requests are on my prayer list and I hope you consider putting them on yours as you place your petitions before the Lord Sunday.

As we approach the throne room, let’s remember to respond with faith and not fear, knowing the promises of God and His mighty hand will hold us through any situation! Sometimes, all it takes is just one prayer to change everything. Something extraordinary happens when two or more agree together in prayer.

Scott has been dealing with liver problems for several years.  Now it’s been determined he may have some kind of cancer. He underwent surgery this week for evaluation of the cancer.  Please keep him and his parents in your prayers.

Tara’s momma is struggling. The nursing home called and said she has been super emotional so the doctor wants to re-evaluate and do a new psychological evaluation. Prayers please

Greg has battled cancer for almost seven years, and the doctors are giving him only days to live. He’s 41 years old and married with two children, 11 and 7. His son Jacob is asking everyone to pray for a miracle for his dad.

Pastor David from ChristForgiveness Ministries was recently arrested for “hate speech” in Canada.

His Warring Handmaid is asking prayers for healing from adrenal fatigue and PTSD/trauma. She is a mom/caretaker and burnt out. She prays, “Refresh me, Lord.”

Please keep praying for healing for Shirley’s broken pelvis, Alzheimer’s, refusal to eat, and chronic pain.

Nick’s wife is sick with pneumonia. She’s been sick like this for almost three weeks and it has been rough. If you can offer a prayer for her prompt recovery it would be much appreciated

Melodee underwent gall bladder surgery now. Pray there be no complications, and she has a swift recovery.

Rev. Kevin is facing the toughest challenge of his life, and so far he’s been facing it alone with his two dogs. He has chronic kidney disease, crippling arthritis, neuropathy, a totally pinched sciatic nerve, and his right hip is bone on bone and extremely painful. He needs an electric wheelchair, other medical needs, co-pays, living expenses, and to get the dogs their current vet care. He needs prayers.

We heard of  a number of deaths this week and there were a host of unspoken prayer requests.

We come to You, Lord, because prayer is the least yet the greatest thing we can do for each other. When two or more are gathered in Your name, we confidently know You are with us. What better company can we have? You reign and we trust You! We may be broken and battered but know You heal and quiet the soul. You are the source for all that happens in our lives. We thank You for the progress being made. We thank You for the many blessings we have received this week — some we unfortunately didn’t notice. Nonetheless, those blessings are ever-present in our lives. We thank You for healing. We thank You for slowing us down. We thank You for providing us our daily needs — no more and no less. We thank You for being with us, listening to us, walking with us on this journey. We thank You for the support of our family and friends … for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary — sunrises, sunsets, flowers, kids laughing, adventures, good news amid the bad news. We also know we can come to You with our concerns and they will be heard. Through Christ all things are possible. We lift up those family members and friends who are battling various physical, emotional, financial, career or spiritual issues and ask not for Your guidance and healing (although that would be welcomed) but to keep reminding us we are not alone in our battles. Specifically we lift up Scott, Tara’s momma, Greg, Pastor David, His Warring Handmaiden, Shirey, Nick’s wife, Melodee, Rev. Kevin, and all those needing Your healing touch. We pray for the families of all those You have called home. We grieve … You celebrate. We pray for obedience to Your Will so Your “Son” Light shines through us through the power of the Spirit. And we come to You through the confidence of the words taught by Your Son Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Keep your joys and concerns coming. They have been and will be included during my prayer time and I trust they will be on your lips as well as you approach the altar. All it takes is a couple of keystrokes under the “Contact Me” button on the top bar {or to the right if you’re not a follower yet}. I hope it becomes your best friend as you navigate around the site so we can all be viable prayer warriors. You can also comment or reach me at wisdomfromafather@gmail.com.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Because of Jesus, we know darkness doesn’t have to win, because light has come.

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