“In preparation for landing, the pilot has illuminated the seat belt sign.” Although these words bring no surprise, spiritual spaces can be quite unanticipated. Although not a flesh and blood existence, we became aware of spiritual “rulers, powers, and world forces” particular to some world areas (Ephesians 6:12). In time, I began to use the flight to prepare for whatever …
Holy Father, You have been my Deliverer in the past and continue to seek ways to liberate me (2 Corinthians 1:10). Not only do You untangle what has entangled, You are a God Who breaks the trap altogether (Psalm 25:15; 124:7). Hallelujah! Emancipation must be one of Your superpowers. Thank You for being the Rock I can run to whenever …
The piercing photograph, only ordinary in size, stares down upon me as I write. A casual observer mistakes the tabby coat pattern for that of a common, house cat. But if you stare into the penetrating eyes, they lock with your own. You startle to realize someone has photographed a young bobcat. That someone, my friend Traci, lived to tell …
For as long as I can remember, one of my mother’s favorite pieces of jewelry was a mustard seed necklace. Dangling from a simple, inexpensive chain, a globe of glass encapsulated a tiny grain of mustard. It held no intrinsic value, but my mother’s estimation of it made it valuable to me: “You see, Kandy,” Mother explained, “This tiny little …
When we arrived home from Asia, I was surprised to find how many media hours devoted themselves to “groundbreaking storytelling.” What began with only “60 Minutes” exploded into crime shows and fraud exposure on every channel. What the news media caught onto is something that God Spirit has been involved in for centuries. I first stumbled across spiritual sleuth reporting …
Julia sent a quick text message to indicate that she would be arriving shortly. A busy woman with lots of plates spinning, Julia is a master at multitasking. Such a skill, however, has its drawbacks. Instead of texting to say she would “pick me up,” her phone autocorrected before she caught it. When she hit send, the text arrived stating …
Nineteenth-century missionary Andrew Murray is one of my favorite authors. My high school mentor, Bobbie Trull introduced me to him by suggesting we read together his best known work, “With Christ in the School of Prayer.” Evidently Bobbie learned to write out prayers from Andrew Murray as every chapter ended with a prayer. As a sixteen-year-old girl, these prayers greatly …
Holy Father, As I bring (Name) before You today, I am aware there is evil that wants to kill, steal and destroy their family (John 10:10). This is always the mode of the devil. Sometimes he looks like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), sometimes like an angel (2 Corinthians 11:14), but his essence never changes. He is always …
Troubled, the artist stepped back from the canvas and critically scanned his masterpiece. From the look on his face, something was not quite right and I craned my neck to see what it might be. Catching my first glimpse of the landscape, I stared wide-eyed as the vibrant colors pulsed with an inner glow. This was truly a …
Our little prayer group agonizes week after week over devastation, divorce, and sometimes even death. New requests pour in; sometimes to such an extent as to overwhelm even our boldest prayer warrior. Yesterday, as we prayed, the Father reminded us to cast all our anxiety on Him, He cares. He called us to give thanks and embrace all …
