testimony

Christian living, surrender, sin, salvation, testimony, self-control, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry, nonprofit

Surrender: Laying Ourselves at the Feet of Jesus Every Day

DevotionalsSeptember 4, 2019September 2, 2019

What does life look like in total surrender to Christ? We can learn from our fellow Believers and gain fresh perspectives on living all out for Jesus.

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”
Mark 8:34-35, NLT

Have you ever met someone and thought “I feel like I have known you for years?” Whenever I feel like this, I can’t help but think God orchestrated our paths to cross for a purpose.

Unexpected Friend

I recently started my own business selling toothpaste on Facebook. I have found it to be such a blessing. I have met some of the nicest people this way. When God opened this door I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I decided to take it step-by-step and see what might come of it. Little did I know that Bill would come along.

Bill and I shared mutual friends on Facebook but had never met before, in person. When Bill saw my post about the toothpaste, he decided to contact me and soon joined my team! I was excited to see what all God had in store for him.

As time went on, we would speak often about the business and how to make more sales. His genuine positivity was very contagious. He also had quite a sense of humor and would often make me laugh. Bill became a good friend very quickly.

But I felt like there was something in his life that was difficult for him to explain. Instead of asking him about it, I just waited for God to reveal what it was. Once I found out, I couldn’t help but cry.

Unexpected Testimony

Bill decided to tell me his testimony one rainy afternoon. He called me and told me, with complete vulnerability, that he is gay. He told me he isn’t accepted in the gay community, though, because of his beliefs both religiously and politically. He voiced how difficult it has been for him knowing he isn’t and wouldn’t be accepted.

The shocker came, though, when he announced to me that he was fully aware it was considered a sin and unjust in God’s sight. He explained that the Bible clearly states it is not okay to act on lustful thoughts and emotions. With his voice shaking and fighting back tears he said, “knowing this truth is why I do not participate in any of my gay feelings or thoughts. I choose to not dishonor my Father in this way.”

Bill’s Words…

My definition of surrender does not come from that of a dictionary, nor does it come from a person with an extensive vocabulary. My definition of surrender comes from that of personal experience. For me, surrender is the marriage of hope and faith.

It is a hope that God will take all of me, inclusive of the good and bad, and using it to bless someone. It is a hope knowing God will heal, knowing God will forgive, and knowing that God will use all of me for something. Surrender is having faith, through difficult and seemingly impossible times.

Surrender is giving all to God when there is nothing I can do, within myself. Surrender is knowing that God will, even when everything says it can’t be done. Surrender is knowing that people will see God’s love in me and not a homosexual when I walk into a church.

Surrender is giving all to God when there is nothing I can do, within myself. Surrender is knowing that God will, even when everything says it can’t be done. Click To Tweet

Unexpected Blessing

I sobbed listening to this sweet new friend of mine bare his soul to me over the phone. I felt the Spirit so much that I couldn’t hold back those tears even if I tried.

God showed me and blessed me with two things that day: 1) a new friend that I accept fully into my life and business without ANY hesitation and 2) what it means to fully surrender your life to God regardless of what the world seems to think. Bill’s discipline, self-control, positivity, faith, and friendship has taught me how to love God more, not judge others, and trust God’s purpose when certain people cross our paths.

So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7, TLB

Who has crossed your path lately? What blessing does God want you to have from that friendship? We will grow if we allow others in our lives to teach us. Bill is certainly someone I am thankful for crossing my path. His story strengthens my faith and prompts me to love God more than my own selfish desires. Not my will, but THY will be done. AMEN!

Priscilla Du Preez

honesty, stories, hope, testimony, uncomfortable, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Testing: Sharing Our Struggles in The Middle of Our Stories

DevotionalsJuly 8, 2019July 8, 2019

When we vulnerably share our stories of the struggles we face, we invite our brothers and sisters to help us pass any testing or trial in our lives.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the middle. You know, the part of the story before the denouement–before the climax. Before all the plot lines come together and the connections become clear. It’s the part when the story gets messy. Even downright ugly. The part when the protagonist goes through a time of testing. She doesn’t know how it’s all going to play out, and she’s trying not to lose hope. It’s a time when things can feel awkward, uncomfortable, even scary and hopeless. It’s the middle.

Unfinished Stories…

A while back, a dear friend shared a very raw, transparent testimony about traversing the middle of motherhood. She was struggling with the fact that her story was one in which the Lord’s redemption was not yet evident. She admitted her heart’s longing to share a testimony where all the loose ends were tucked in–where it was all wrapped up in a pretty bow. But, at this point in her story, that’s just not where she is. She’s in the middle. In the throes of motherhood, where each day feels like a battle. And she’s fighting to find joy amid the struggle.

My friend’s honest and vulnerable talk touched the heart of every woman who heard her speak. It opened the floodgates for an incredible discussion about hard things like depression, anxiety, and shame. And it invited conversation about deep desires for joy, peace, and healing. My friend’s willingness to share the good, bad, and ugly of her situation gave the rest of us permission to honestly grapple with the difficulties we’re facing. Because we are all in the middle of our own unfinished stories.

The “Test” in Testimony…

The middle of our stories is when the true testing of our faith happens. Folks, there’s a reason why “test” is part of the word “testimony.” Without seasons of testing, we’ll never know what we are truly made of. And without His testing, we’ll never fully grasp the goodness of the Lord. Through our walk of faith, we learn that God doesn’t maniacally test us to watch us fail. Rather, He lovingly allows us to walk through tests and trials in order to prove our faith and to strengthen the power of His Word in us. He tests us to show us that He truly will lead, guide, and deliver us through every trial.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4, ESV

We–as believers, women, and just humans in general–need to know one another’s struggles. Yes, it’s wonderful to hear a testimony of the Lord’s goodness once the story is all said and done. But what about the middle part? What about the part when we are in the heat of the battle? When the struggle is raw, and things don’t make sense? At all. When life is hard and holding onto our faith isn’t easy? Beloved, we need to be able to share our hearts–even when the testing of our faith exposes some sharp, jagged edges that don’t fit so neatly into religion’s pretty box.

Beloved, we need to be able to share our hearts–even when the testing of our faith exposes some sharp, jagged edges that don’t fit so neatly into religion's pretty box. Click To Tweet

Passing The Test…

Sisters, we can’t gloss over the testing phase when we share our stories with others. We must testify of His goodness even in the midst of our stories that are unfolding. This means we shouldn’t shy away from sharing our testimonies in the middle of the test itself! It can feel extremely vulnerable to talk about current struggles we’re facing, battles we feel like we’re losing, and hard circumstances that don’t look like they’re changing. But when we’re honest about the fact that we’re in the middle of the story, it allows our sisters and brothers in Christ to come alongside us.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV

We can invite others to pray with and for us and help us in the ways they can. As members of one body, we are called to help shoulder one another’s burdens. To point each other back to the One who ultimately delivers us from all of our tests and trials. When it comes to passing these kinds of tests, the Lord doesn’t look at sharing and helping one another as cheating. In fact, He encourages us to walk together.

A Brave Testimony…

Recently a dear friend bravely shared her story of being in the middle of a season of grief following a miscarriage. With her permission, I want to share the way she beautifully gave her testimony in the midst of this trial. She posted a picture of the empty “baby’s room” in her home, and then she went on to share her heart:

“I’m not pregnant. We are a week away from [our son’s] due date and there is no baby coming. The ache and recovery for all of us have been quite a journey. We’ve kept the door closed to this room and passed by it several times a day. The reminders that we bought this house to grow our family are all around us. Yet, today I stand here with an achy longing of hope. I’m not crying! That is a miracle and the result of time, support, great therapy, taking it day by day, and riding the waves of postpartum miscarriage hormones that took about 5 months to settle (just sharing to normalize how long it takes to “recover” from a miscarriage even though it’s something one never recovers from).

We set up [our daughter’s] big girl bed today to celebrate her successful potty training. It also forced us to put the crib in the “baby’s room” as we still call it. We rearranged and I showed her all the baby items. Things left untouched were played with and dusted off. We are hoping and waiting to see if this crib will be used again. This morning [our daughter] said she’s praying for a baby sister. Will you join us in the risky hopeful prayers? We think we’re ready to get back in the ring…Here’s to all of us grieving, hoping, celebrating.

If you’re surprised by my sharing in such a public way, it’s because this middle part of the journey isn’t talked about. It’s hidden. Sometimes there isn’t news of a new baby coming to make the loss feel less painful. We can breathe a collective sigh of relief when we finally see the widow get remarried or have that rainbow baby or find the job or go into remission. But what if those things don’t happen? Can we sit with each other in the uncomfortable middle of the journey?”

Conquerors…

My friend’s courage to share her struggle–in the midst of her story–serves as a powerful reminder to us all. Beloved, this walk of faith is not a cake walk. It’s a fight for our lives in the middle of an intense battle between good and evil. But praise God that through every test, through every trial, we serve a loving Father who indeed sees us through. In Him, we find our strength to persevere through the tests of the wilderness seasons, when it feels as if we are holding onto our last shreds of faith. But as we hold fast to the One who never leaves nor forsakes us, we enter the Promised Land as more than conquerors!

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Revelation 12:11, ESV

Are you in the middle of an unfinished story? Would you consider sharing your testimony in the test you face? Do you have a sister in the faith who needs your help to pass the test she is facing?

Annie Spratt

God's Will, resolution, testimony, love, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Resolution: Reflecting on God’s Lessons and Moving Forward

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 7, 2019January 13, 2019

Reflecting on the year gone by can help us move toward the future God has planned for us. Our resolution should be to testify of God’s goodness and great love.

A little over a year ago I wrote my first devotional “Love Letters: Expressing Our Desire and Commitment to God”. As I reflect on my year of writing devotionals for Oh Lord Help Us, I am reminded that love is what brought me here. My love of God, my love of writing, and my love for a friend.

Reflecting on God’s Lessons

As a teacher, I encourage my students to always consider what they have learned. In reflecting on my year, I am asking myself to do the same. I see the ebb and flow of my emotions, what is important, and a voice cracking through to be heard. Being vulnerable and allowing others to see inside has been scary, intimidating, and oh so rewarding.

God has shown me that fear is just the devil’s way of sidetracking His work through me. Fear is a human emotion that everyone feels, but trusting in God is the divine intervention that makes it possible to get to the other side of the fear.

Be strong and courageous! Do not fear of tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!

Deuteronomy 31:6, NET

Every time I wrote an article I waited for some pithy comment, some sharp retort about what I had written, or criticism about my words. I got some, well-deserved critiques from friends and family. All given in the spirit of love and understanding. It took me a beat or two.

My knee-jerk reaction was anger and frustration. Luckily, God has taught me to breathe through it, listen with a spirit of willingness, and adjust as needed. Sometimes I needed to choose different words, sometimes I needed to give further explanations and sometimes I needed to stick to my guns and say what I said.

Being vulnerable can be scary. Fear is just the devil's way of sidetracking God's work through us. Trusting in God is the divine intervention that makes it possible to get to the other side of the fear. Click To Tweet

Where God Leads

I have also learned to listen to God’s soft whisper. As Mark Batterson says in his book Whisper, “What we’ve learned from Scripture is that He often speaks in a whisper. Not to make it difficult to hear Him, but to draw us close.” Sometimes I would rather be punched in the face with His message so I don’t have to stop my life or wait. But this year I have learned to listen more intently, look for the patterns in God’s path for me, and slow down. Okay, so that last one I’m working on.

As I write down my prayers to God, I can see His hand at work in my life. I can testify to His power to move in small ways. When you see small miracles over and over, month after month, week after week, even day after day – you can’t deny the power and overwhelming love of our Father.

For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age,

Hebrews 6:4-5, NET

Some days my prayers are full of gratitude and joy. Other days they are cries for help. I have begged for healing for friends and family members. I have sobbed out, as evidence from tear stained pages, for help when my children were hurting. Sometimes God sent abundant blessings and other times He carried me to the next day. He answers “yes” and He answers “no”. And sometimes He answers, “wait”. That is by far the hardest to hear.

Resolution

Once my students analyze their work and decide what it is they learned, I ask them to make a new goal. Something that pushes them to grow. So now it’s my turn. My husband laughingly asked me to write him more love letters when I shared it was time to write my next devotion.

He was being cute, but it kind of hit me when I read my first post from last year, it has been years since I wrote him a really sweet, gooey, love letter. It’s also something I feel very uncomfortable with, sharing my feelings about others. Over and over I have told you I want to be a reflection of God’s light. I’ve been trying to share my love of God more, but now I need to share the love in my heart that God has put there. I can’t horde it or feel it but not mention it. The words “I love you!” said with sincerity are super important. So my New Year’s Resolution is to say them more often.

What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are about to possess.

Deuteronomy 30:16, NET

Thank You

Dear reader, I love you! I love how supportive you have been of me on my writing journey. How you have cheered me on. I am so grateful for the stories you have shared of your own life and walk with God.

Oh Lord Help Us has been one of the greatest blessings to me. Katie and Rachael, as well as the rest of the writing staff, have been amazing. Their posts are rooted in God’s word. Our Father has been faithful through them in holding me through the bad days and celebrating with me through the joyful times.

May the New Year bring you freedom from fear, joy in abundance, and love that knows no bounds. God offers all that and so much more. I am so thankful and wait with an expectant heart for my Savior’s next plan in my life.

Dear God,

Thank You for all the wonder that You have shared with me this year. I see so clearly Your hand in my life. Sharing the testimony of this life you have blessed me with has not been easy, but so fulfilling. I cried out to you for peace and happiness. You have carried me through to the other side of my fear.

Help me to be more patient and wait for You. Be a constant reminder to me to reflect Your love. Not just in deeds but in true words. Help the words “I love you!” come easily and joyfully from my lips. Let those who hear them know that they come from You.

love,

Annie Spratt

testimony, daily devotional, spiritual growth, Christian mentoring, Oh Lord Help Us

Testimony: Sharing The Good That God Has Done in Our Lives

Devotionals, Stay SaneAugust 13, 2018July 30, 2019

Sharing our testimony of the good that God has done in our lives strengthens our own faith and builds others’ faith as well.

A few days ago, I received one of the most incredible messages I’ve ever seen. It was a testimony from a young man I had prayed for back in the spring. It read: “Hey Mrs. Hope, my name is Jacob.* You may not remember me, but a few months ago you gave me a ride and money for gas. You gave me your card with your cell number on the back and I just stumbled across it tucked away in my wallet. At the time I was a heroin addict, the kind of person most people avoid like the plague. You were the complete opposite, and showed nothing but genuine care and kindness towards me. I have turned my life around completely and now have a close relationship with Jesus Christ. I don’t know if I thanked you that day, but I’d like to take the chance now to tell you how appreciative I was and still am. You are a powerful woman and I hope you are doing well because you absolutely deserve it. I hope you have a blessed day.”

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

Psalm 66:16

Can I just take a moment to say….

“Praise God! Hallelujah!! Thank You Jesus!!! What a mighty God we serve!” When I read this message, I was speechless. Overwhelmed by the grace and mercy of God, I was in tears. I felt so grateful that the Lord allowed me to be part of an intense change in this young man’s life. What a blessing to witness a glimpse of the mighty work He’s doing to change Jacob’s direction–from a crash course with death to a renewed sense of life to the full!

When I wrote about my encounter with Jacob in a previous piece, I had no idea whether I’d hear from Jacob again. When I gave him my card, I was simply offering for him to reach back out if he needed help, prayer, etc. I did not expect to receive a text two months later with a testimony of how he had overcome his heroin addiction and rededicated his life to Jesus! When I was praying for Jacob, I felt a strong release of power from the Holy Spirit. So, I believed something shifted for him spiritually. But when I left him, the only assurance I had that he would kick his addiction was my own faith that the Lord would do a work in his life.

Testimonies build our faith…

I’m so thankful Jacob shared his testimony with me because it confirmed what I’d been believing for him in faith. You see, the Lord has set this whole thing up so beautifully! He wants us to have faith in Him. To believe that He will carry through on the promises He has made for our lives. But He also knows, that to truly believe, we need to experience His goodness firsthand. For ourselves. And when He answers our specific prayers, He knows we’ll be so blown away by what He has done, that we will praise His name. That we’ll testify of His goodness to others.

This is what happened with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. When she encountered Jesus, He offered her living water. He told her he knew that she had had five husbands, but He did not judge her. Rather, He invited her to a new way, to a new life filled with His living water. The woman accepted Jesus’ offer, left her water pail, and ran back to Samaria. There, she told everyone who Jesus was and what He had done for her. The result:

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

John 4:39

Salvations and strengthened faith resulted from the Samaritan woman’s testimony. These are the kinds of things that can happen when we testify of God’s goodness and mercy in our lives.

When we share how He has set us free, we help build the faith of other captives who desperately need to know that true freedom is possible. Click To Tweet

Sharing my testimony…

When I was in my Jeep with Jacob, he was at the end of himself. Out of gas. Strung out on heroin. Out of hope. And I knew what that felt like. Before we pulled over to pray, I shared my testimony of what the Lord had done for me. I told Jacob how a number of years ago, I had been suicidal and was driving 90 mph down the interstate. I admitted that I’d been trying to figure out how to wreck my car in a way that didn’t hurt anyone else and looked like an accident. How I was crying out to the Lord and telling Him that I was done. That the depression was too much for me to take anymore. I was begging Him to show me what my purpose was, or it was all over!

And then I shared how that little beater car had the audacity to pull right in front of me going 60mph. How I had to slam on my brakes not to hit the car. Then, the license plate that read: “SongTree.” The word seemed odd to me, and I asked myself, ‘What the heck does that mean?’ And right then, the Holy Spirit asked me a question in my spirit, “What do a song and a tree need?” And I knew the answer. A songbird. I knew that He was confirming my purpose. To be His Songbird of Hope. To sing and write and praise Him all my days. Precisely when I needed a specific answer from the Lord, moreso than ever before in my life, He answered me. Me. His answer shocked me back to life, rang clear and true all the way through my spirit, and still reverberates as I write this.

A testimony of his own…

I knew that my testimony had struck a deep chord with Jacob because he began weeping as I was speaking. When I offered to pray with him, he was not even able to say yes, but he was nodding his head forward and back over and over again. And when we prayed, the God whose goodness I was testifying of, touched Jacob personally. And now Jacob has a powerful testimony of his own. The Lord has freed him of addiction to heroin–one of the most lethal drugs known to man!

Friends, there is power in sharing our full testimonies. And not just the pretty parts where it’s all wrapped up in a bow. Because there are ugly parts too. We need to be honest about the wrecks we were before the Lord saved us. We have to be willing to share the hard truth that we did not do everything perfectly. That our faith was barely the size of that proverbial mustard seed. That we were literally helpless and hopeless without the Lord. Beloved, we need to share the good, the bad, and the ugly because our honesty and vulnerability shows our need for a savior who truly saves us.

And our testimony is even greater when we acknowledge that what the Lord has done for us is not because we were the strongest, most faith-filled, perfect people to ever approach His throne. He answers our prayers and blesses us because He is a good God who loves and cares for us. And when we turn our lives over to His grace, He will move mightily on our behalf.

How we defeat the enemy…

Rest assured, when the Lord does a work in our lives, the devil is right there trying to sabotage the good that God is doing. But Jesus has provided His blood and the power of our testimony to ward off attacks from the enemy. So, let’s wield our shields and our weapons well and testify to the goodness of God in our lives.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 12:11

How has the Lord built your faith with a testimony? Have you shared it?

*name changed to protect privacy
**all scripture references from the King James Version of The Bible

Evan Kirby

faith, steps, stretching, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Stretching: Walking by Faith Deepens Our Trust in The Lord

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 12, 2018September 8, 2019

When the Lord is stretching our faith, we begin to more fully trust Him. Looking back, we can see how He has ordered our steps.

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a scene that could easily describe the beginning of a bad horror movie: It’s evening as an unassuming housewife drives along the highway to run a mundane errand. She sees a young man on the side of the road carrying a gas can. Feeling sorry for him, she pulls over to give him a ride. Disclaimer: I really dislike horror films and never actually watch them! But I’ve seen enough scary movies to know that this is the perfect setup for things to go really dark, really fast. But don’t worry, this plot takes a positive turn and ends on the bright side!

Stretching

Now, before your natural mind starts listing all the reasons why we should never pick up hitchhikers, please know that I share your concerns. I’m not trying to convince anyone to pick people up on the side of the road. But consider this: have you ever felt the Holy Spirit prompting you to do something that’s a little, or perhaps way, outside of your comfort zone? Do you believe the Lord calls us to do things that don’t seem to make sense in the natural but make complete sense in the spirit? I believe the Lord is always stretching my faith to deepen my trust in Him.

He might not stretch your faith in the exact same way that He did mine because the stretching looks different for each one of us. For some, it might be a nudge to simply smile and say hello to a stranger. For someone else, it might be to adopt a child from another country. And for another, to forgive someone who has hurt her. But I believe that the Lord is in the business of building our faith by stretching us beyond our own natural strength. And if we’ll trust Him, we’ll see that He is ordering our steps perfectly.

A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Proverbs 16:9, KJV

I believe that the Lord is in the business of building our faith by stretching us beyond our own natural strength. Click To Tweet

A Testimony to Share…

So, as it happened, I picked up a hitchhiker and have a testimony to share. The young man looked to be in his early twenties. When he got in my vehicle, he thanked me and even said, “Wow, ma’am. I don’t know too many women who would pick up a guy on the side of the road. I really appreciate it.” To which I replied, “Well, I have the Holy Ghost, so to tell you the truth, I’m really not afraid of anyone!” He said that was good to hear because he was a believer too.

As we made our way to the gas station, his speech was coherent, but his eyes kept sort of rolling back in his head. When I asked him if he was feeling ok, he said he was really exhausted. He explained that he was working two jobs–one at night and another during the day–and that he had already put in 36 hours in the past three days.

Out of Gas in More Ways Than One…

When we got to the gas station, he started rummaging through a little bag he had with him and was getting upset. He said he had left his wallet in the console of his car and didn’t have his debit card. I said it was no problem and paid the few bucks it took to fill up his gas can. When we got back in the car, he continued to thank me and said, “You really have no idea how much this means to me.” I said I understood what it was like to be out of gas physically, emotionally, spiritually, and every which way, and that I was happy to be able to help. And that’s when the young man began to weep.

I tried to console him, reassuring him that we all need help now and then. Between sobs, he said he had really been struggling recently. His dad had been a preacher and left his mom for another woman. He had moved back in with his mom to help pick up the financial slack since his dad left, and he was also helping take care of his other siblings. As he was talking, his eyes kept doing the rolling motion I had noticed earlier. At the risk of being intrusive, I felt like I was supposed to ask about his eyes. I said I understood that he was tired, but was he really doing ok physically? At first he repeated that he was sleep deprived and exhausted from working outside in the heat all day. And he claimed that he was sober, but then he admitted that he had struggled with addiction.

The Lord Had Let Him Live…

As he shared, I learned that he had been addicted to heroin and had actually overdosed a number of times. He said he didn’t understand why, but for some reason, the Lord had let him live. No matter how many times he had given up on himself and gone back to drugs, he knew that God had never given up on him. I told him how the Lord had saved my life when I was on the brink of suicide. By this point, we were almost back to his car, but he was having trouble holding it all together. So, I asked him if I could pray for him, and he said yes. I pulled off the highway onto a side road and into a neighborhood. And that’s when the Holy Spirit began to move.

I’m not even sure what all I prayed as I laid my hands on that broken young man. The Holy Spirit took over my words, and I prayed in the power of the Holy Spirit for quite awhile. He was buckled over in his seat weeping, moaning, and crying out to God. He was repenting. Thanking the Lord for saving him. Praising Him for letting him live. When it was all said and done, I believe that he was delivered of a spirit of addiction, and I know that his faith was restored. As the prayer was winding down, he said, “I can’t deny that Jesus is real because things like this keep happening to me.”

Our Steps Are Ordered…

So often I go through my days wondering when the Lord will really use me. I have grandiose visions of what an impactful ministry might look like. And I feel discouraged when my daily life doesn’t seem to measure up to the image in my mind’s eye. I can worry whether I’m taking the right steps so that I’m in the right place at the right time to do what He’s calling me to do. But as He stretches my faith, I am learning to trust that He is leading and guiding me perfectly.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

Psalm 37:23, KJV

We mustn’t let ourselves get discouraged in this daily walk with Christ. The mundane things: loads of laundry, dirty dishes, unfinished to do lists…these are just part of life. They cannot separate us from the love of Christ or the plans that He has to prosper us. His idea of ministry does not always involve a pulpit, a stage, and an audience. He is showing me that the stage for His ministry is my everyday life. And each day is not just a warm up for the main event. It’s a daily stretching of my faith.

How has He stretched your faith? Can you look back and see how He has ordered your steps?

Andreas Selter