June 09

What We Really Want


… you do not receive because the reason you ask is wrong.

James 4:3 (NCV)

Until now you have asked nothing in my name.

John 16:24 (NCV)

"You don’t care about the things of God, but only about the things people think are important." Then Jesus said to his followers, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives to follow me.

Matthew 16:23-24 (NCV)


So many of us want so much more out of life. We think we want things; we think we want relationships; and we all want control … but what we really want is life—the kind only He can give. Our prayers reflect all this. Our prayers show what’s in our hearts, and the truth we must come to grips with is this: God not only hears our prayers, He knows our hearts.

Let’s face it, if we want God to start answering our prayers then we better start praying His way. Jesus tells us how. And if we want to find the life Jesus offers, we need to live it His way. Again, He tells us how.

Jesus says, if we want to gain anything of significance in life, we must lose everything in this life. That’s when God knows He has our hearts. That’s when prayer becomes powerful ... and real life is born … the life we really want.


Father, Jesus said, “I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” Give us this life, Lord. Fill us up as we surrender all to You! Amen.

June 08

A Lesson Learned


People who accept correction are on the pathway to life….

Proverbs 10:17a (NLT)


“I want to ask you something.”

I absorbed the comment and shifted in my sea grass chair causing it to creak. She went on.

“Do you pray for specific things or just for general blessings?” She was looking right into my soul with her big blue eyes. Quiet. Waiting.

“Well….”

She shifted her focus outside, through the blinds and onto the greenery. She then continued, “Lately, it seems your prayers are too general. You are not focused on what needs to get done or what you want God to do for you.”

I stared at the carpet as I processed her words.

“Hmm. You may have a point.”

She did have a point—a very good one. So this morning, I canned the canned prayer list and prayed according to the need. And this morning the need was with church ministry—seeing the way ahead for our Adult ministry at Eastmont—specifically with our men. And this morning I sensed God answering prayer in ways I hadn’t imagined or expected.

My blue-eyed wife has taught me many valuable lessons in our nearly twenty-five years. Perhaps the greatest is to listen … and take her words to heart!


Loving Father, teach me. Use those around me in good ways—to encourage me along the way, and to bring Your peace Lord. Bring Your peace into our hearts. Amen.

June 07

Finding Deeper Joy in Others


So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

Romans 14:19 (NLT)


We should please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in the Lord. … Remember that Christ came as a servant … So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:2,8,13 (NLT)


The Lord his changing my spiritual focus from one of concern for my own growth and well-being to that of others, and as He does, I’m beginning to understand the Apostle Paul’s heart.

Sure, I want to continue to grow in Christ—He is everything! But, more and more, I want to see others develop and mature, find peace and hope, and come to know His deeper joy.

My hope is for my children, for those I relate to in small groups, and for new converts. Oh, how my heart goes out to them! I have no greater joy than to pray for them and see God answer those prayers in positive ways. This was Paul’s deeper joy and now it is becoming mine.


Lord, help us to encourage one another and grow in Christ together. Amen.

June 06

Humble Love


Don’t think highly of yourself….

Romans 11:20c (NLT)


Be honest in your assessment of yourselves….

Romans 12:3b (NLT)


Love your neighbor as yourself….

Romans 13:9c (NLT)


The world tells us to look out for number one. The professionals on Madison Avenue know how to grab someone’s attention: focus on their ego. It’s all about you! they seem to say. That’s how sales and marketing work. We have a natural need to satisfy SELF—and they know it. I really think it’s how sales people are taught to view their world. God, however, has turned the world upside down.

Consider Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-6). Take a look. See where and how God blesses people. God knows our primary motivation is to pursue our own needs above all else. It’s a hard habit to break. To get us looking beyond ourselves, God requires a healthy serving of humility. Sometimes, He develops this noble quality by taking us to the low spots of life. It is these experiences that free us to fully look beyond ourselves and see the hurts, the injustices, the greater need surrounding us. It is a step beyond loving self and a step closer to loving like Jesus.

Loving self is a Madison Avenue advertising no-brainer, while loving others requires an honest evaluation of who we really are. It means seeking the truth. And the truth, you see, will set us free!


Lord, forgive me for my pride and for my selfishness. Open my eyes to this truth. Help me to see others and consider their needs as more important. Help me to love like Jesus. Amen.

June 05

Wonderfully Good

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him.

Lamentations 3;25 (NLT)

… he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Hebrews 11:6c (NLT)


When I spent my summers as a boy in my parents’ home state of Maine, I often heard the phrase “That was wicked good!” Whoever spoke it was suggesting something was so good it was almost wicked—almost a sin.

“That chocolate cake is wicked good. You should try some.”

The sound of “wicked good” has always tickled my ear and put a smile on my face, but the term “wonderfully good” blesses my soul and puts joy in my life.

The Bible teaches the Lord is merciful and kind and loving. And for those who take an active interest in Him, who forget about themselves and pursue Him with their whole heart, He is not just good. He is wonderfully good.

I can’t begin to describe how good God can be to His children. Paul tried in Romans 8.

“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God … If God is for us who can be against us? … Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? … No … overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

The world looks for its own reward—that’s wicked good, but the Lord looks to reward those who seek Him … and that, my friend, … is wonderfully good!


Lord God, thank You for Your tender mercies renewed every morning. Thank You for Your love, for the good You do for me. Praise Your name forever. Amen.

June 04

Keys to Victory!

Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin … so … consider yourselves able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.

Romans 6:6,7,11,16 (NLT)

I will praise you, Lord … I will be careful to live a blameless life … I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all crooked dealings … I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.

Psalm 101:1-4 (NLT)


When we trust our Mighty God, He raises us to a new life (Colossians 2:12).

Paul gives us two keys to this new and better life. First, it is achieved through God’s Son, Jesus Christ (see Philippians 4:13). And second, it’s our choice. We have been released from our prison cell of sin and despair, but will we walk out of our cell and enjoy the fresh air?

I once sat in a room full of dozens of Christian men, average guys, aged 20-70 and every one of us spoke of how sexual sin, especially pornography, had had a strong attraction. We were men with a common weakness, but we also enjoyed a common victory as each shared how God had helped him find the way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). The decision to follow Christ is a day-to-day, moment-by-moment choice for God’s better plan.

Today, what choice will you make? To live for God … or something else?


Lord, thank You for encouraging me to find Your better life. Give me strength to walk Your way. Amen.