A Greater Faith

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Luke 7, 8; Psalm 134, 135

Luke 7:1-10 (NIV)

1 When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 There a Centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The Centurion heard of Jesus and sent tome elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with Him. “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the Centurion sent friends to say to Him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Good morning!

This is an amazing example of great faith! The whole story is surprising, from start to finish. Here, we have a Roman army officer, a Gentile, who was not raised in Jewish faith and tradition. Roman soldiers were despised by the Jews because of their brutality, and the Romans seemingly hated Jewish people and their culture. But this man was different. He not only treated the Jews with respect, he even helped build their synagogue.

The centurion may not have been raised to know The Great I Am; and yet, he knew a lot about how faith works. He was placed in a position of utmost respect and power. The Centurion trusted that when he gave a command, it would be carried out. He didn’t have to second guess whether his troops would obey. The centurion did not have to follow in behind to make sure the job was done right. He trusted his team, as they trusted in his visionary leadership.

So when the Centurion heard about Jesus, he somehow knew deep down in his spirit that this man is a leader he could trust completely. Somehow, God revealed himself to a pagan, who seemingly possessed a greater faith than anyone else in Israel. What will it take for you to possess a greater faith?

The Apostle Paul says that Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ. The Centurion was convinced that Jesus Christ is God’s living Word and he trusted Him enough to know Jesus would heal his dying servant. With one holy Word, he believed the command would immediately be carried out. The centurion understood that faith comes by hearing the living Word. Do you hear the Living Word speaking to your heart today?

Greater faith comes when we place our complete confidence in Jesus Christ. We get into trouble trying to rewrite His Word to suit our limited human understanding. We question God’s authority over our lives. We even blow the Lord off in a time of anger and rebellion, shaking our tiny little fists and saying, “It just can’t be true.” If you have a beating heart inside your body, you have the capacity to choose whether to take God at His Word and trust Him completely, or to reject Him forever.

Will you let go of your fears, your questions and doubts, and cling to the Word He speaks? Do you believe Jesus Christ has the power to save you today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: a greater faith! Ask the Lord to give you the faith of the Roman Centurion. If you ask the Lord to save you, He will do it. Do you trust Him enough to receive it? If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIV).

___________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

One more gift

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Luke 4, 5, 6

Luke 6:27-31 (NIV)

27 [Jesus said,] “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Good morning!

How difficult is it to forgive someone when they’ve hurt you? I find it is sometimes it is easier to forgive strangers than it is to forgive my own family. We hold the people in our family in high regard, most of the time. Still, we tend to lash out irrationally at the people we love the most. Why is that?

Are you living in an enemy camp today? Do you feel like you are being taken advantage of by a spouse, a child, or a parent? What do you do with feelings of anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness?

One of my all-time favorite childhood books is Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. This is a tale of a boy, a tree, and relationship. The tree gives and gives and gives some more, to help the boy grow into manhood. He provides food to eat, shade for rest, and a listening ear. Whenever the child asks the tree for anything, the tree finds a way to give of himself for the boy’s happiness and well-being. Eventually the boy takes everything the tree has to offer until all that is left is a stump rooted firmly in the ground. When the boy returns to the tree as an old man, after years of selfish living, he asks the tree if he could simply sit on its stump to think and rest. The tree, who had given everything to the boy, is happy to be able to offer him one more gift.

Jesus teaches us to be the givers of one more gift. He says that we should be willing to love those who do not love us; to show compassion and respect to the ones who least deserve it. Jesus encourages his followers to treat people the way you would want to be treated, because your Father in heaven will forgive you if you are willing to forgive others. It’s a tall order to fill. Some days I’m a little better at it than others. Yet, in every circumstance, I know there is not enough good inside my heart to love and forgive on my own. I have to ask for supreme help.

It is a conscious choice. We know that when we give our lives away, we should expect nothing in return. Sometimes our random acts of kindness go virtually unnoticed. It is easy to become cynical and apathetic when we try to extend our hands to a loved one, or a neighbor, or even someone at church, only to be rejected, or even worse, ignored. Christ calls us to a higher standard of daily living. He not only encourages us to go against our human instincts, He expects us to give of ourselves freely.

When I started working full-time, I struggled with a servant’s heart. I would work really hard and my efforts seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated. I used to come home seething and spewing about this awful work environment. My husband reminded me of just how important it is to be a willing and humble servant at home, at work, and even at play. He taught me how to love unconditionally, and offer everything I have to the task I have been given to do. I will always be grateful to Jeff for this gift. He could not have given me anything more valuable or wonderful in life. Because Jeff loves me unconditionally and with a servant’s heart, I have experienced the living Christ through him.

Today, I’m planning to go out there again and give my all. I know what I’m doing may go unnoticed. I realize that sometimes when I risk loving others unconditionally, I’m going to get hurt in the process. This is the time I ask the Father for an extra measure of Christ’s love in my heart. The Apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13). If Jesus Christ can forgive the soldiers who physically nailed him to the cross and forgive me all my sins, then I need to return that love by loving others through Him.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: courage to ask the Lord to give you a heart of compassion. It takes a concerted and determined effort to love our neighbors the way we would like to be loved. We must learn to forgive, and give, and expect nothing in return. When we purposefully choose to love, we emulate Christ’s love to a world that desperately needs Him now.

___________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

The prayer of Zechariah

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Luke 1, 2, 3

Luke 1:67-79 (NIV)

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and redeemed His people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David 70 (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago). 71 Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us – 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant; 73 the oath He swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies and to enable us to serve Him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him; 77 to give His people the knowledge of salvation 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising of the sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Good morning!

Can you imagine the joy Zechariah must have felt when his silence was finally broken and he was allowed to praise the Lord God Almighty with his lips for the miracle of his son, John? When the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah during his temple duty several months before, he had a difficult time believing the angel’s words. Have you ever questioned God or wondered whether His promise was true for you? Gabriel silenced Zechariah’s lips and he was unable to utter a word until the day of circumcision and naming. Zechariah had all the proof he needed – he held a miracle in his arms.

Zechariah’s prayer is one of my favorite prayers in Scripture. Often overlooked, we skip to the more familiar passages of the Magnificat, prayed by young Mary, and the song of the angels to the Shepherds tending flocks in the fields near Bethlehem, where our Christ was born. The prayer of Zechariah reveals a faith come full circle: that doubts and questions can be answered simply through trusting in His holy Word. There was no doubting that God would redeem His people, just as He promised through the prophets of long ago. He will preserve the holy covenant and rescue those who believe from the enemy. He knew his son would prepare the way of Messiah and would reveal the gift of salvation to those who would listen, repent and believe. Zechariah knew peace. He was in the presence of Almighty God.

I am comforted by this humble servant of God. If Zechariah found the answer to his many questions in his old age, then there is certainly hope for you and me. Sometimes God simply needs to shut my mouth long enough so that He can speak. It is difficult at times to not question the Lord, especially when things seem so unclear. If we look at our human condition, we see conflicts and turmoil boiling over into violent wars. We do not have to look far to see people suffering all around us. There are many who are starving to know the truth. We do our best to understand, and yet, our hearts are filled with questions, anxiety and even fear.

When Zechariah understood and accepted truth, he was literally set free – his tongue was loosed to speak God’s message of hope to the world. He proves that God can use us, at any age, for kingdom work. When will we stop trying to explain the Word and let the Word stand on its own? How long will we question and doubt and live in fear and insecurity, when the truth has already been revealed? Will we choose to step out in faith, accepting that we don’t have to have all the answers today because we have the only answer that truly matters?

May the prayer of Zechariah bless your life today, as you seek a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, our kinsman redeemer, healer, and friend.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: greater faith! We can accept His promises, especially in times when we do not always understand. God is asking us to trust Him completely. Will you let go of the doubts that keep you from believing and invite the Lord to live in your heart today?

___________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Watching from a distance

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Mark 15, 16; Psalm 132, 133

Mark 15:40-41 (NIV)

40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed Him and cared for His needs. Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there.

Good morning!

From a distance, I imagine the women could hear their Lord screaming in agony as Romans nailed spikes through His flesh. They watched Jesus struggle to breathe for hours on the cross. Terrified by the events of the last twenty-four hours, the ladies may not have completely understood what was happening or why, and yet, they showed great tenacity and courage in following their Lord to Golgotha. They were there.

Women tend to be there, caring for those who suffer, in times of extreme sickness and death. Women have an innate quality for nurturing and caring for those in pain. Maybe it comes from developing a high pain threshold in the childbirth process. Is there some natural-born instinct for a young mother to stay up all night and rock their sick child with a high fever? Women are very brave people, and the women who followed Christ were exceptionally courageous.

The disciples had disbursed all over Jerusalem, looking for a place to hide. They feared they would be next: the Roman soldiers would seek them out, torture and kill them just like they were doing to the Lord. The women who stayed knew they could easily be identified as Jesus’ followers. They would rather have died with Him than to watch Him suffer so. What mother wouldn’t take on a child’s illness, if she could spare her child the pain? What wife wouldn’t want to shoulder the burden of a sick and suffering husband, if it meant he would recover?

Through His passion, these women knew something of His promise. They believed Him when Jesus said He would die and rise again. They couldn’t understand how that could happen, but they knew all things were possible with God. The proof was in His life, and they had watched Him fulfill God’s promises over and over again. It was enough to keep them watching from the distance, and it was enough to bring them back to the tomb on the third day.

I don’t always understand the bigger picture. I see suffering all around me, and sometimes, it would be easier to run and hide than face it full throttle. There are some things in this life that I’m not going to completely grasp while I’m here. The miracle occurs when I allow faith to overcome fear and courage to step up in the great unknown spaces of life. I pray that God will give me what I need to do what He calls me to do, when He calls me to it. I trust Him enough to follow, even when it makes no logical sense. Oh, to have just a tiny portion of the faith these women displayed.

Can you imagine how the women must have felt with the sky became totally black, and the Lord breathed His last earthly breath? They felt the earth quake beneath their feet. They heard the curtain in the Holy of Holies ripped apart. They saw their Lord pass from this life into the next, not fully understanding what that would mean for them and for life eternal. Their overwhelming grief for the One they loved was about to turn into pure joy. Oh, to experience Christ’s death and resurrection first hand! Were you there?

God, grant us the courage to step up in faith, especially in times of suffering and pain. We don’t always understand the bigger picture. Help us to lay aside our doubts and place total trust in your Word. Take us to Calvary. Give us a glimpse of what you did to save us from sin and death. May you find us ever faithful and vigilant, like the women who followed you to the cross. We will wait for your return. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: greater faith! The women who watched from a distance knew God would return, just like He promised. If you are struggling to believe today, ask the Lord for help. He will give you what you need when you need it. The work on the cross is complete. Jesus died to save you and me. Won’t you give Him your life today?

___________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Time Well Spent

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Mark 13, 14; Psalm 130, 131

Psalm 130

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; 2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 3 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. 7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. 8 He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Good morning!

It had been a long time since our immediate family gathered together to share a meal together and spend time loving on each other. I wonder why we take these precious moments for granted? Rachel was well enough to make the trip from Arnold to St. Charles. David barbecued for all of us. It was the first time our grandchildren were all together at the parsonage since baby Andrew was born. Our son-in-law Dave became the official photographer for the evening. With a tripod and digital camera in place, Dave took lots of pictures of our growing family. Little Madison waved at the camera. Andrew was grinning from ear to ear. Joshua, Jett and Emily sat arm-in-arm, happy to be together again. He photographed all of us, sitting at the dinner table, enjoying a delicious barbecue feast. What used to be a daily, time-honored tradition for many families is now a major life event to be celebrated and remembered. When was the last time you sat down at the table with your family and spent an evening together?

I was amazed at how everyone seemed to get along so well. Sometimes when we gather with our families, we begin to grumble and bicker over trivial things that, in the scheme of life, is simply not important. Our unhappy attitudes may affect how we communicate with each other. Last night was such a blessing to me. It was much more important for us to lay our differences aside and love on each other. I confess I have raised three very opinionated, passionate adults. They come by it naturally. For all of us to gather around a table and not ruffle a few feathers, is a major miracle.

How long has it been since you’ve shared an intimate and loving moment with the Lord? Can you recall the last time you sat in His holy presence and simply praised Him for His goodness and mercy? What a gift we have to be adopted into the body of Christ. God keeps no record of our wrongdoing, as we repent and thank Him for His amazing forgiveness and grace. So totally undeserved, we are able to love because He first loved us. So often, I draw up a laundry list of all the things I worry and fret about. I pray for the injustices of our world and for the souls of those who are lost. Sometimes, I’m so distressed after prayer time, that it sets the tone for my soul in the hours to come. How long has it been since you’ve come into His holy presence, just to praise and glorify His name? To tell Jesus just how much you love Him, and to ask nothing in return, except to gaze at His face.

Our busy lives and hectic schedules keep us from experiencing the best part of relationships. It steals away precious moments spent in love and gratitude to the One who saves us day by day. I need to take a closer look at how I prioritize my time. What happened in our home last night was a miracle in the making. What happens when we enter into Christ’s holy presence is also one amazing miracle. What a gift we have to celebrate life with the life giver. What a gift we share when we gather together as the family of God, for no other agenda other than to love and be loved by Him.

May you find some miracle moments in your life today as you spend time with the Lord who loves you more than you will ever know. And my prayer for you is that you will make time to spend some precious moments with the people God has placed in your life, simply loving on each other, and thanking God for the gift of family.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: time! It is the one thing we can never get back, and we waste an awful lot of it on trivial stuff. Make time today to praise your Lord and Savior. And if it’s been awhile since you’ve seen your family, invite them over for dinner. You will be glad you did.

___________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Giving Him all you've got

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Mark 10, 11, 12

Mark 10:17-22 (NIV)

17 As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good – except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery; do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” He said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Mark 12:41-44 (NIV)

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling His disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

Good morning!

I learned a valuable life lesson simply by observing my father work around the house. He was meticulous and he was a perfectionist. Nothing less than your very best effort would do. He expected it not only of his family, but of himself. Dad literally threw himself into any job he took on, and he didn’t stop until the project was completed. Every task had to be done just right. One day, my father decided to install a glass shower stall in the bathroom. He went to Central Hardware and purchased the kit. It never seemed to fail – my father always got home and didn’t find everything he needed in the carton. This made him furious. I will never forget the explicatives rolling out of his mouth as he worked to finish the insert that evening. I think he stayed up most of the night finishing the job so that we could all get showers in the morning before school.

Have you ever given your all to the task at hand? When I go to work each morning, I lay aside my daily life and focus on the projects I have to complete. Sometimes, it seems almost impossible to keep up with the flow of incoming work. Still, I know I can do it, one project at a time. At the end of each day, I can leave there, knowing I put forth my very best effort. When I was a child, I studied piano and violin through most of my formative years. I literally spent hours practicing music each day. It became a form of self-expression. Most of my friends hated having to sit down for thirty minutes and practice each day. I would have played all afternoon and evening if my parents had allowed it. I loved working hard at making music. For me, spending time in preparation was the best part of any recital or school program. I preferred practicing to performance, and I feel that way, even today.

Jesus sets the bar at giving His all. On two separate occasions, he used life examples of two people, a rich young man, and a poor widow, to illustrate what it means to give your all in faith to God. When I look in the mirror of Holy Scripture, there are times when I believe I resemble the rich young ruler, more so than the poor widow. I would spend time with the Lord in prayer and study all day long, if my daily schedule permitted it. Still, I find myself throwing a few minutes here, and a few minutes there to my daily faith walk. It is never enough, and I know it. When the collection is taken in church on Sunday, I wonder how God views the gift I place in the plate. Would He see my gift as a token offering, or solid evidence that I am willing to give Him everything I’ve got? When the young man asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus looked on him and loved him. This, for me, is the hope I hold onto. Isn’t it just like the Lord to know our hearts even better than we know ourselves? When Jesus sees the desire in my heart and the longing I have to follow Him, I pray He looks on me with love. No matter how much I give, it will never be enough to repay Him for His gift of salvation to me. I know this. Thank God for Jesus Christ and His amazing, saving grace. It is a blessing that I cannot earn my way into God’s holy presence. Jesus loved the poor widow too; not because she gave less than a penny to the temple treasury, but that she gave everything she had and He knew it.

God continues to work on my heart, as I struggle daily with the meaning of giving my all. I believe it begins with the heart-felt desire to want to give everything I’ve got to the Lord. He can take a mustard seed offering, like the widow’s mite, and multiply it for kingdom work. God can take the longings of a rich young ruler and give him the grace to let go of his material wealth to help feed the hungry and share the Good News with a dying world. Jesus loves them, just like He loves you and me.

Today, I’m asking the Lord to help me give Him everything I’ve got with a grateful and happy heart. He deserves my very best effort. How will you choose to honor the One who has literally saved your life from the pit?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the desire to give Him your all. When you look in the mirror of His Word, do you resemble the poor widow, or the rich young ruler? How will you seek to serve the Lord today?

___________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Faith-filled prayer

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Mark 7, 8, 9

Mark 9:25-29 (NIV)

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was coming to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

13 I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.

Good morning!

Of all of the healings that Jesus did, this one speaks to my heart the most. No matter how many times I read it, I am awestruck by this important lesson of faith. The crowds, along with Christ’s disciples, are moved beyond words when a deformed limb is restored, sight is returned to the blind, and those who could not hear or speak are suddenly praising God! They are powerful images of the Lord who heals us. Yet, it takes a prayer prayed in faith for the demons to be driven out, once and for all.

There is nothing more powerful than a simple prayer spoken in faith.

Prayer breaks the hardest heart. Prayer opens a path from eternal darkness into eternal light. Think about the suffering child. His father begged Jesus for help. He said that his son had been afflicted for years. Unable to speak, the boy would be thrown to the ground in violent fits of convulsion. He would bite his tongue repeatedly from gnashing his teeth. His entire body becomes rigid and frozen. Sometimes the tremors are so powerful that the child might land in the fire or the water. There is no controlling him, and his parents were at a loss at how to stop this child from literally killing himself. Do you know someone who suffers from seizures and tremors? Have you ever experienced an out-of-control moment when you cannot seem to take charge of your own faculties and stop a free-fall into a deep, dark pit? What demons drive you or someone you love into seasons of utter hopelessness and despair?

The disciples had tried and failed to drive the evil spirit out. Jesus heard the cries of a father’s heart breaking as he begged for healing for his son. Jesus questioned the man’s faith. “If you can?” Christ said to him. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Did Jesus really mean it when He said, “everything is possible with faith?”

We don’t have to look very far to see what happens when someone suffers with addictions and compulsions, and how their actions affect loved ones and friends. Innocent children get hurt. Parents suffer from broken hearts and disfigured lives. Society shuns the suffering one out of fear and lack of understanding. The cycle of generational sin perpetuates itself over and over again. We see its affects plastered all over our local newspapers and magazines. In moments of sheer instability, human minds snap and acts of extreme violence occur. Can this really stop? How can you keep an uncontrollable moment of rage from happening? Could a simple prayer, prayed in faith, really work?

When the father heard Jesus’ question, he replied without hesitation, “I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!” And then it happened. There was nothing logical about this child’s complete healing and restoration. There was no medication that could control the boy’s erratic behavior. Only a prayer prayed in faith and the touch of the Master’s hand would work. There are some things in life we cannot fix, no matter how hard we try. You may find yourself encouraging a family member to get help for alcoholism, an eating disorder, long-term drug abuse, or uncontrollable seizures. No matter what you say or do, it just isn’t enough. They cannot hear you and refuse to listen. You see where this is headed, and feel powerless to stop it.

Can the Lord of life cast out your demons like He did for the young boy? Can Jesus completely release you from the pain you struggle with day after day? After the child was healed, the disciples asked Christ, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” Jesus said, “This kind can only come out by prayer.”

A faith-filled prayer, trusting in Christ alone, will take you from sin to salvation, from suffering to healing, and from eternal separation to everlasting forgiveness and grace. We cannot manufacture this kind of faith. It is a gift of God. Are you ready to pray a simple prayer of faith today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: healing – the kind that only comes from faith in Christ. We face our demons every day. There is only One who has the power and authority to free you. Ask the Lord to help you overcome your unbelief, and trust Him to heal your broken life now.

____________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

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