Tag: prayer

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

From hopeless to hopeful

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Brad Barmore on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Chronicles 20.

King Jehoshaphat was in a tight spot. A huge army of Moabites and Ammonites are poised to attack Judah, and he feels helpless against this great hoard.

So he prays. He prays, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).

It’s a great prayer. Simple, faithful, desperate, hopeful, and honest. No fancy words. From the heart.

Life is filled with “I don’t know what I’m going to do” moments. If we focus on the unexpected expense, the hurtful words we can’t take back, the doctor’s grim diagnosis, or the loss of a job, our mind takes us to hopeless places.

But if we simply remember to look to God, everything looks different. That simple shift of our eyes takes us to a hopeful place.

Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started to sink in the water. Bad move. But Jesus was there to save him.

Elisha’s servant could only see enemy armies. Until Elisha points out the armies of God surrounding their enemies.

The disciples’ hopes are dashed as they mourn Jesus’s death. But when they see the risen Lord, the future suddenly looks bright.

When you don’t know what to do, fix your eyes on him in prayer and in the scriptures.

Posted in Advent devotions

Your prayer has been heard

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash

Zechariah was just doing his job. He burned incense in the temple, a symbol of prayers reaching God in heaven. It was an honor. A privilege. A duty.

In the cloud of smoke created by burning incense, an angel of the Lord appears and says to Zechariah, “Your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13).

Zechariah had been praying, too. He had been praying for his wife, for his family, and for his future. Both he and his wife Elizabeth were older and had no children. I imagine his prayer was simple. “Lord, could we just have a child?”

I’ll bet your prayer list is filled with petitions for friends, family, and those you hardly know. You got the prayer email, and now you come to the throne of God’s grace, confidently asking for his mercy for all these friends and strangers. Nice job. And of course, you slip in your own requests, too.

Zechariah, God has heard your prayers. God is going to answer your prayer. You are going to be a father! You and Elizabeth are going to have a son.

And not just any son. Their son would be John the Baptist. He was be part of God’s plan to bring a Savior to the world. His bold preaching would prepare the way for the Lord. Zechariah and Elizabeth were a part of God’s plan!

None of us ever know how we or our children will be a part of God’s plan. I read somewhere that a person’s path to the Lord was paved with many stones, that is, people who play a part in God reaching someone with his love and mercy. You never know which of those stones you are.

So just keep doing your job and saying your prayers. You never know when an angel or God himself will show up with an unexpected message or blessing.

Zechariah gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree, the father of the one whose voice would be heard in the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”

Posted in Advent devotions

Just keep praying

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Julie Wolpers on Unsplash

When Daniel revealed the meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay that was toppled by a divine stone, he had no idea he’d live to see that dream come true. In Daniel’s lifetime, Babylon falls to the Medes, and King Darius takes over.

What did Daniel do in the meantime? He knelt down and prayed three times a day. It was no secret. Everyone knew it. As kingdoms fell and rose, Daniel’s devotion remained constant.

I believe it’s important to nurture your spiritual disciplines when life is good, so that when there are challenges, your spiritual muscle memory keeps you on track.

What did Daniel do when his colleagues conspired against him? What did Daniel do when the king decreed he couldn’t pray to his God? “He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (Daniel 6:10). His circumstances may have changed, but his habits didn’t.

King Darius had no choice. He wrote the law. He prescribed the consequences. He had to throw Daniel into the lions’ den.

Do you know what happened? (A lot of you do.) Darius didn’t get any sleep. Daniel got to see an angel! “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:21). Someone had an amazing night!

I want to see an angel. But do I want to see one in the same context as Daniel? I’m not so sure about that. I’ve seen lions tear into a piece of beef at the zoo. I don’t want to be the next meal.

On the other hand, if angels show up where there are lions, then maybe…just maybe…I’ll check into the lion Airbnb.

What if angels only show up when the going gets tough? What if you only get to see angels when the whole world seems to be against you? What if an angelic presence requires the presence of a carnivore with big teeth and a loud roar?

What if…? I could ask that question all day. Life is filled with “What if’s?” What if your prayers bring you to a place with lions and angels? I could live with that!

Daniel gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree as a reminder that we can depend on god to save us from lions, from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Life-changing prayer

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Hannah’s prayer is life-changing. Yes, it is life-changing because God does give her a son. But a change occurs before that.

Hannah is deeply distressed and pours out her soul before the Lord, bitter tears running down her face (1 Samuel 1:10, 15). After she prays, she “went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad (1:18). She leaves Shiloh a changed woman.

So what just happened to Hannah? She opened her heart and emptied it of all its sadness, despair, concern, and provocation. (The provocation came from Peninnah, the other wife, who could have children when Hannah could not.) Once she had unloaded all that to the Lord, everything was different.

Maybe our hearts weren’t designed to carry all the sorrow, anxiety, jealousy, and bitterness our lives absorb each day. Thankfully God has designed a relief valve: prayer.

  • “Cast your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
  • “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
  • “Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8).

So it’s okay to do that. It’s okay to open the floodgates and let all that pent up worry, grief, regret, and shame rush out. Our Lord is happy to clean up the mess.

That’s an interesting and profound way to picture grace, isn’t it? And then once you let it all out, you’ve got room for all God wants to pour into your life!

Posted in Devotions, prayer

Keep the conversation going

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 8.

You know how it goes. Once you start feeling better, you stop taking the medicine, right? Yeah, that’s not now it’s supposed to go. You’re supposed to take all the antibiotics the doctor prescribed. You have to keep taking blood pressure medication daily for the rest of your life. It’s hardly ever a one and done.

Once we get into the plagues God sends to show his power to both Israel and Egypt, we get into that same kind of pattern. The plague hits, Pharaoh says you can go, the plague stops, and “when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said” (Exodus 8:15). It happens again and again and again.

Of course we are good pray-ers when it’s hard or when it hurts or when we’re scared. Not so much when we feel better or the storm has passed or we’ve arrived safely at our destination. Yeah, that’s not how it’s supposed to go. My good day prayers are just as important as my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day prayers.

Over time, God’s people developed prayers for the beginnings, endings, and in-betweens of every day. These prayers kept a divine conversation going throughout the day, rather than only kneeling for a need or in a crisis. In a world teeming with distraction, they pull us back into the relationship that matters the most, the one we have with our Creator, Savior, and Helper.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

What if the answer to your prayer is…you?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 3.

In the song “Do Something” Matthew West sings

I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, I created you.”

After Moses removes his shoes in the presence of God who is speaking from the burning bush, the Lord says, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people…and I have come down to deliver them…Come, I will send you” (Exodus 3:7-10). It’s all good news until that last part. In response to the cries of his people, God is sending Moses.

When Moses asks, “Who, me?” God replies, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there, too” (Exodus 3:11,12).

It’s an easy trap to fall into. I’ll send my prayer requests to God and then sit back as he takes care of me, my situation, and my friends’ needs. I’ll ask, seek, and knock because I know he can do it, I know he cares, and I trust him. I’ll call on him in the day of trouble, he’ll deliver me, and I’ll glorify him.

Well, it turns out that I’m not in the bleachers but on the field. I’m the hands and feet of Jesus. He alleviates hunger, loneliness, conflict, despair and grief through the church. That means me and people just like me.

So when you feel that nudge to call, visit, give, apologize, invite, or write to someone, don’t think, “Who, me?” Just do it. Let God do his thing through you and with you.

Posted in Devotions, family, Through the Bible Devotions

Reach out sooner than later

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Dave Phillips on Unsplash

A “through the bible devotion” from Genesis 32.

A few months ago, I had to call our HVAC company because the air conditioning wasn’t keeping up with the hot and humid late spring weather. I did what I could. I changed out the filter. I made sure the drain line was clear. I changed the batteries in the thermostat. But I learned a long time ago that you call sooner than later, because you need someone to come out who knows what they’re doing.

By the time Jacob decides it’s time to go home, he’s got a large family and lots of sheep. He’s had eleven sons and a daughter with his two wives and their servants. He’s skillfully bred the sheep so that he ends up with most of Laban’s herd.

The next hurdle is his older brother. What if Esau is still mad after twenty years? Jacob arranges to send generous gifts ahead to smooth over the reunion.

And then Jacob prays, “Save me from the hand of my brother” (Genesis 32:11). This is the first time we read of Jacob praying. He knew God was around. He was aware of God’s covenant promises. But now he needs God’s help. Up until this point, Jacob has been able to work the system and do well. But now he’s afraid. Now his back is against the wall. “Please save me, God.”

I learned a long time ago to ask God for help sooner than later, too. Again, you need someone who knows what they’re doing. We like to think we’ve got life all figured out. But let’s be honest. We don’t.

Thankfully, we know someone who does.

Posted in holy week

Thoughts on Thursday of Holy Week: the hardest prayer?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Thursday is a busy day. After he eats the Passover and institutes the Lord’s Supper, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“And going a little farther [Jesus] fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:39)

Sorrowful and troubled, Jesus prays one of the hardest prayers anyone could speak: “Father…your will be done.” (Matthew 6:9,10)

We pray those words without hesitation or struggle anytime we speak the Lord’s Prayer. Do we consider the gravity of those words? Is that what we really want? Are we willing to set aside our desires and let God map out our future? Are we willing to let the Lord fill up our calendars?

It depends. Do you trust him? Do you trust that he cares about you and will take care of you? If so, then go for it. Pray these words boldly.

If not, then consider Jesus’s prayer that night. He yields to his father’s will because of his great love for you. There is no greater expression of love than Jesus giving up his life for us. Yes, he cares.

Just pause before you pray, “Your will be done.” Think about Jesus’s words. Think about how much he cares. Think about how much he wants you to live.

Posted in prayer

First thing on the agenda: prayer

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

The men’s bible class I attended last week began with prayer rather than saving it until the end. Usually, the leader gets sidetracked or the table discussions is really good, and we don’t get to prayer until 7:59 (class ends at 8). But this time, the leader said, “I’m going to let you guys share with each other and pray for about twenty minutes. Then we’ll get into the study.”

Four or five men were seated at each of the six tables. Even though I know most of the guys who come each week, I had just met the three others at my table. One had been a member of the church for about thirty years. Another had just moved to Florida from Oregon. To my left was a thirty-something guy who just started a data science degree program at the local state college.

Typically, the majority of prayer is devoted to those we know who are ill or recovering. Tonight was different. At my table, our petitions were all ones of gratitude. Bob’s son had come back to church, his faith renewed. Kevin was adjusting well to a new home, job and church. Mike’s life was getting back on track and enjoying his studies. I was thankful for time spent with grandchildren.

After we jotted down our prayers, we all took turns praying. Sometimes people are reluctant to pray, but not this group. Not one of my new friends hesitated to offer up thanks for the stuff going on in our lives. I thought to myself, “This is a powerful time, praying with these men.”

The class leader commented that talking about our prayers usually took up more time than the prayers themselves. He was right. We only prayed for about five minutes. But that’s OK. God was listening in on our pre-prayer discussions. That was prayer time, too.

The plan worked well. The leader lost track of time and we didn’t even get through half the night’s discussion questions. It’s a good thing we started with prayer.