A Moment of Hope

by David Chadwick Depression. Feeling of despondency and dejection. Hopelessness and despair. What causes depression? Many factors. Usually it comes from a severe disappointment in life. Things like a painful rejection from a spouse, getting fired from a job, the death of someone you love. Generally, the severity of the pain in depression is commensurate with the loss. In other words, the greater the loss, usually the greater the pain. The perfect storm of depression often leads people to wrestling with self-image and asking the question, "What's wrong with me?" A great biblical example of this is Elijah. He had just conquered 400 godless prophets on top of Mt. Carmel. Elijah had great expectation that the Israelites would take this monumental victory and lead a righteous rebellion to overthrow the evil King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. But the people did not rise up to finish the conquest and in turn, Jezebel put out a declarative order to have Elijah killed within 24 hours. Elijah went from expecting to see a royal overthrow by the people of Israel only to find out that his neck was in a royal noose. So, he fled. Elijah ran and ran for miles and hours until he finally collapsed under a broom tree where he begged God to take him home. He wanted God to take him out of his misery. Friends, this is true depression. God, in his grace, began to restore Elijah by putting him to sleep, awakening him to feed him, giving him water, putting him back to sleep and then commissioning him back into his calling as a prophet of God. Notice God cared first for his body, then his soul (1 Kings 18,19). There are times when we shouldn't over spiritualize cures for depression. Sleep, eating right, lots of water, and more sleep can greatly help depression. But especially don't forget the last step…God called Elijah to get back to work. Read and reread Isaiah 58:10. If you're depressed, go serve the poor. Give them food. Hand out hope. Give someone a blessing. Watch as your depression lifts like the noonday sun. There are so many people out there who are worse off than you are. GO and give your life away and watch as you become free! It's a promise of God's Word. Today's Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove depression and replace it with HOPE (James 4:10). And find a place where I can go serve someone else in need. And give them HOPE! ____________ For more insight on today's topic check out Moving Beyond Anxiety by David Chadwick. In his book, David shares 12 ways you can overcome life's fears and worries—all of which come straight from Scripture. Order or download your free PDF by clicking here.

by David Chadwick Pride is today's sin that some of our congregation brought forward to lay at the foot of the cross last April during our Easter Service of Darkness. Pride is the belief that we are the master of our own destiny. It is the belief that we know better than God. The most important verse in the Bible about pride may be Proverbs 16:18 which says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Sin is sin, but THE major sin of all may be human pride. It is what caused Adam and Eve to rebel against God. Pride caused the devil to become the devil (Isaiah 14:13-14). It is the one sin that is unforgivable and will send you straight to hell. Pride is the ultimate dismissal of grace because it makes you think that you can earn your salvation through your own good works and human efforts. Pride keeps you from seeing your own sin and receiving the grace of Jesus because you never think you need it. The antidote to pride is humility. A teachable spirit. Where I know God is God and I am not and most of my problems come when I am not discerning the difference between the two extremes. So, how do you know if you've conquered pride once you lay it before Jesus at the foot of the wonderful cross? Generally, you'll have great thanksgiving in your heart. You will look around you and recognize that only God could have established such a beautiful creation. We are the ones who have messed it up. It's our sin that has contributed to a less than perfect order. You'll find yourself surrendered and aware that it is an absolute privilege to be a part of God's story and to be able to experience the gifts that exist in his creation even in the midst of sin and brokenness. Your perspective changes when pride is broken. You will begin to love to worship the Lord. You will be glad for every opportunity you have to sit at his feet, to gather with other believers, to pray, to worship corporately with other believers in the house of the Lord (Psalm 122:1-2). You will love to sing to him and praise him for creating you, giving you life, and awakening you to salvation! You will begin to see that all of life is a gift. Eternal life is a gift. When this happens, you will know that pride has been eliminated from your life! Today's Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove pride and replace it with HUMILITY (James 4:10).

by David Chadwick If the definition of anxiety is the belief that something bad MAY happen to you, then fear is the belief that something bad WILL happen to you. Today's topic is fear. It's another stronghold that plagues this broken world. The same studies about anxiety apply to fear as well. 90% of all fears will never actually happen to you. Fear is a worthless emotion. According to the Bible, it's an evil spirit as well. Paul says that God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity (2 Timothy 1:7). As a side note, some fear is valuable. The Bible encourages us to exercise fear of the Lord! A healthy fear can also lead you to prepare for or avoid potentially destructive situations. It can prompt you to make sure you have enough food and water before a storm comes. It can lead you to be cautious against things like robbery. This can be good. But relentless, demonic fears about things that will most likely never happen will rob your life of joy, peace, and meaning. And paralyze your soul. The Bible's one continual antidote to fear is God's presence. Only as you abide in his presence can you truly know that he is with you, in you, guiding you, fighting for you, and protecting you in every situation. Spend some time meditating in verses like Deuteronomy 3:22, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, and Hebrews 13:5-6. There are well over 100 times in the Bible where God commands his people to "Fear not." Peace comes into our hearts when we know that HE controls everything in the universe and our fears are robbing us of shalom, wholeness and peace. The bottom line question is this: What is your mind set on? Things above or things below. Are you focused on the size of your giant or the size of your God? Are you constantly thinking about the size of your mountain or walking in faith for your mountain to move? There are only two options. Either God is in control of everything - every atom, every second, every day, every month, every year, or he is not. Either you trust him like a child or you are full of fear. Which one is it? Today's Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove fear and replace it with COURAGE (Joshua 1:9). _________________ For more insight on the topics of fear and anxiety, check out Moving Beyond Anxiety by David Chadwick. In his book, David shares 12 ways you can overcome life's fears and worries—all of which come straight from Scripture. Order or download your free PDF by clicking here.

by David Marilynn Chadwick Anxiety is today's stronghold. The definition of anxiety is "apprehension, tension, or uneasiness, often stemming from the anticipation of danger, whether real or perceived." It's like a wire attached to a battery that slowly but surely drains all of the energy out of a person. Did you know there are studies that have been done that show that 90% of all of our worries NEVER end up happening. While anxiety feels very real to the person experiencing it, the anxious situation almost never happens and it ends up sucking the life out of the person who is experiencing it. Anxiety is mentioned throughout the Bible, and not positively. Jesus addressed it in Matthew 6:19-34, Paul did in Philippians 4:4-6, and Peter did in 2 Peter 5:7. Clearly, they knew this was a problem in our sin-infested world. So, what did they suggest in these passages of Scripture? Well, Jesus encouraged us to look at creation. Consider how God cares for the birds and grass. HOW MUCH MORE will he care for his children? The crown of his creation! Jesus encouraged childlike faith and a deep trust that our Daddy in heaven will care for us no matter what. Then, Paul said to turn our cares into prayers. He said to take our anxieties, worries, and cares to God in prayer. We are not to worry about anything! He said that if we don't pray, we forfeit a lot of peace and we begin to carry needless burdens. Peter said to cast all of our cares on Jesus's huge, broad, celestial shoulders. Did you know that the word "cast" here in the Greek is the same word Jesus used to cast out a demon? It's a word of great force! Peter urged us to forcibly hurl our cares on Jesus because he cares for us! Do you know how much Jesus loves you? I mean do you really, really know? He wants to carry your burden so you don't have to. He promises this to his children! Anxiety is a thief. It steals peace, joy, energy, and purpose. Anxiety looks at the size of Goliath instead of the size of our God. It focuses on the size of a mountain instead of the One who created the mountain. It gives power to the impossibility instead of believing that nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37). Check your anxiety levels. If they are high, develop faith! Trust your Creator. Seek first his Kingdom and everything else in life falls into place (Matthew 6:33). Faith is the antidote to anxiety. How strong is your faith? Today's Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove anxiety and replace it with FAITH that can move mountains (Hebrews 11:1). _________________ For more insight on the topic of anxiety, check out Moving Beyond Anxiety by David Chadwick. In his book, David shares 12 ways you can overcome life's fears and worries—all of which come straight from Scripture. Order or download your free PDF by clicking here.

by David Chadwick One of the things I love to do at our church is to invite people to come to the altar and place their burdens, hurts, hangups, and sins at the foot of the cross. The wonderful cross. This series is going to be very special and deeply personal. Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to look at the top 20 things that people wrote down on notecards at our Service of Darkness this past April. These are real anguishes that people inside of our local church anonymously laid at the foot of the cross during some of our ministry times. As you read along, I pray that God brings healing to some of the real needs that people are facing right now. I also pray that he will not only remove your sin or pain, but that he will replace it with something good! Let's start with doubt. There is good doubt and bad doubt. Good doubt provokes people to find answers. Someone once said that good doubt can be the ants in the pants of faith. It motivates you to find meaning where you have questions, which, in turn, builds your faith. Look at Thomas as an example of good doubt in John 20. After Jesus's death, his heart was filled with doubt. He ran from his community of faith. When he finally returned to be with the other disciples, he heard the news that Jesus had returned in resurrection glory, but he continued to walk in good doubt. He said that unless he could touch Jesus's nail-pierced hands and sword-stabbed side, he wouldn't believe it. But when Jesus appeared to him, the text says that Thomas immediately believed. His doubt finally led him to belief! And there's no evidence he ever touched Jesus's wounds. But bad doubt is a crippling tactic of the enemy. It lingers. It leads you into a pit where you never seek and never find answers. It makes you question God, his existence, the promises in his Word, the veracity of Scripture, or this really big one…his goodness. When Satan can get you to question the goodness of God, despair enters. Ultimately, it leads to unbelief, something that Jesus rebuked repeatedly throughout Scripture. He knew that a cemented unbelief always leads to a hardening of heart, a blaspheming of the Spirit, and an eternity in hell. James 1:6-8 says that doubt without answers is like someone caught in a wave, being tossed to and fro. So how do you overcome not only doubt but all of the issues we will look at in this series? First, you must totally commit your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing confidently that you are not your own but bought with a price by the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20). Secondly, you must choose to believe. Jesus said to Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "Blessed are those who walk by faith and not by sight." Could it be that the greatest antidote to doubt is the childlike willingness to believe all God's promises without having seen them? A willingness to take him at his word and know that his promises are true? A desire to use faith to conquer doubt? Yes, these are the ones who will truly be blessed. Today's Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove doubt and replace it with BELIEF in the Lord Jesus, that I might be saved (Acts 16:31)!

by Marilynn Chadwick I'm always watching for signs of God at work. Looking for insights from his Word. Watching closely for his "fingerprints." I often ask God to open my eyes so I may see him more clearly. I am convinced that abiding in Christ's Presence holds the answer to life's problems. So why do I sometimes race around looking everywhere else for solutions? My commitment to abide in Christ has been made stronger by recent conversations with friends. Each confided they were overwhelmed by the same problem. Anxiety. They were consumed with worry about frightening events in the news. Admittedly, the world can be a scary place right now. Wars and rumors of wars abound. Random acts of violence hit close to home. Persecution of Christians is at an all-time high. Some say it's the most dangerous time in history to believe in Jesus. It has always been dangerous to follow God. The Bible is full of examples of believers facing persecution. John the Baptist met a gruesome death at the hands of the evil ruler Herod. John had confronted Herod on his adulterous relationship with Herodias, his brother's wife. Herod wanted to kill John but feared the crowd. Look at what happened next: But at Herod's birthday celebration, he got his chance. Herodias's daughter provided the entertainment, dancing for the guests. She swept Herod away. In his drunken enthusiasm, he promised her on oath anything she wanted. Already coached by her mother, she was ready: "Give me, served up on a platter, the head of John the Baptizer." That sobered the king up fast. Unwilling to lose face with his guests, he did it—ordered John's head cut off and presented to the girl on a platter. She in turn gave it to her mother (Matthew 14:6-12 MSG). Notice the reaction of Jesus to the death of his dearly loved cousin. The Bible tells us he went away by himself to be alone with God. Though he was God Incarnate, Jesus was fully human. We must assume he needed time to process the tragedy, to pour out his heart, to be healed and strengthened by his heavenly Father. But while on the way, he is intercepted by a crowd of needy and hurting people. Moved with compassion, he heals their sick and even performs a miracle of feeding the 5000. I'm sure Jesus was exhilarated. But notice: He still needed time alone with God. As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night. Matthew 14:22,23 MSG Jesus withdrew to pray, to heal, to grieve, to seek renewed strength. To abide. If Jesus needed to be alone with his heavenly Father when walking through a valley, how much more do we?

by Marilynn Chadwick Consider the miracle of speech. Our voice sets us apart from the animals. It allows us to communicate with each other. It connects us to God. A voice is a powerful tool. I believe our most important task is to train ourselves to hear God's voice. Jesus gives us a beautiful description of his role as the "good shepherd." He proves his love by "laying down his life for his sheep" (John 10:11). What a stark contrast with the "hired hand." This false shepherd cares only for himself—when he sees a wolf coming, he cuts and runs to save himself leaving the sheep defenseless. Whose voice is most familiar to you? I can easily recognize my husband David's voice. When he calls, he doesn't have to identify himself. My sensitivity to his voice comes from our relationship. So it is with Jesus. If we are one of his followers, we recognize his voice. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27 NIV). Listening to the right voice can be the difference between life and death. Ponder God's sober warning to the children of Israel: "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings, and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NIV). So many voices compete for our attention. We can tune our hearts to hear God's voice by spending time in his Word (Romans 10:17). Here are a few tips on how I sharpen my hearing: I carve out time in the morning for God's Word and prayer. It's my priority. I call this my "morning launch." I also have a favorite spot for my quiet time. I often use a Bible reading plan along with my Study Bible, journal, and prayer list. I try to pray "without ceasing," sometimes while folding clothes, driving across town, or on an afternoon walk. Praying throughout the day keeps my connection with God flowing and sharpens my hearing. It also helps me keep watch for answers! I hope you, too, will learn to sharpen your hearing of God's voice. Learn about his nature and character. Train yourself to get close enough to him to understand how he would lead you.

by Marilynn Chadwick Have you discovered that every voice in your head is not from God? The enemy of our soul often tries to sneak in his lies, sometimes disguised as our own voice. So how do we recognize when it's really God speaking to us? Jesus tells us, "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me" (John 10:27). Your most important job is to train your heart to hear God's voice. Get to know him. Spend time with him. When David calls, I easily recognize his voice—because I spend a lot of time with him. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us discern truth from lies. Among other descriptions of the Holy Spirit, he is called the "Spirit of truth." It's worth repeating. Not all voices are from God and not all spirits are the Holy Spirit. That's why we need a "Spiritual Spam Filter." God has provided us with several guardrails to bring clarity to our hearing: The Word of God; the inner witness of the Holy Spirit; the character of God as revealed in Scripture; the testimonies of other believers, both now and throughout the ages. Before Jesus went to the cross, he encouraged his disciples to eagerly anticipate the "Spirit of truth" that would soon come their way (John 16:13). "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). This same Helper, Jesus promised, was "the Spirit of truth" who would guide them (and us) into "all truth" (John 16:13). "The Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you" (John 14:26 AMP). Did you catch that? Jesus said the Holy Spirit will even help us remember what he has spoken to us. Good news as we are learning to discern the voice of God!

by Marilynn Chadwick "What do I do when God seems silent?" The question came from a good friend and a sincere follower of Jesus. We were on a weekend retreat where I had just delivered a message about learning to hear God's voice. Her question hit a chord. How do we handle those times when we have prayed and prayed? Perhaps we have even sensed God's promise to fulfill a hope or dream. But the answer is so slow in coming. I thought back to my own time of what I call "wait training." In our early years of marriage, David and I had looked forward to the day we'd have children. Imagine our dismay when hopes for a baby stretched into six months, a year, two years, and eventually four years—forty-eight straight months—of drugs, surgeries, tests, and more tests. And still no baby. We eventually had our daughter and two sons. But the years of waiting proved to be a good time to seek God and to wait on him. Strength came as I rested in the Lord, studied his Word, held fast to his promises...day after day after day. I learned what Jesus meant when he encouraged believers to "abide" in him (John 15:5). I also found surprising comfort as I stepped out of my own pain to serve others. I discovered that if I would give my life away to help someone who was hurting worse than I was, a mysterious joy would spring forth. By seeking God and serving him wholeheartedly, I learned that times of waiting can give birth to a larger purpose. Turns out not getting what we want when we want it may be one of the best tools to sharpen our hearing of God's voice. We may also discover that our seasons of waiting—those times we thought were barren—can become our most fruitful.

by Marilynn Chadwick God is always speaking. The question is, "Will you listen?" It's a question I ask myself every day. Will I take the time to listen in our busy, noisy world? I have discovered that if you truly commit to listening to God, amazing things can happen. David and I have shared over four decades of marriage and ministry (I once vowed that I'd never become a Christian, and most definitely, I would never marry a minister. Funny how things turn out, isn't it?). Along the way, we have discovered that listening to God is not just about hearing his voice. It's also about doing his will. My life, I realized one day, was either a "so what?" or a "so that!" If listening to God took me no further than my own little world, then so what? The point of hearing his voice is so that I'll do his will. So, I told God that I would give my whole heart to listening to him. And I committed to pray, starting with my own family right at home, but with an eye for the needs of God's larger world. What happens when you begin to take seriously the call to listen to God's voice? That's when the adventure begins! You could end up traveling to genocide torn regions in Africa as David and I did. Or you might come face to face with the needs of your neighbor next door. You just might meet people and go to places you never knew existed—starting within your own community. Everyone's journey will look different. You can read more about my experiences in Sometimes He Whispers, Sometimes He Roars: Learning to Hear the Voice of God. The book started out as simply a memoir of my own adventures in prayer. But friends kept urging me to add some practical content to this journey—some footsteps— so others could follow along. I firmly believe that if you will listen to God daily and watch for him at work right where you are, your ordinary days will no longer feel ordinary.

by Marilynn Chadwick Not getting what you want when you want it may be one of the best training tactics for sharpening your prayers. Notice I didn't say not getting what you want at all. I find that people are more easily able to dismiss their heart's desire altogether than to wait for it. It is easier to give up in defeat and walk away from a dream than to stand on God's promise, clinging to the hope God has placed in your heart. That's why waiting on God is such an incredible test of faith—I refer to this time in my life as "wait training." When my husband and I endured many grueling years of infertility, I fed myself on the promises of God's Word about healing—too many to count—day after day, month after month. During those days of waiting, I learned to hear God's whispers of encouragement and trust his character. In short, I learned the secret of what the apostle John calls "abiding in Christ" (John 15:7). The lessons during those days of weakness and waiting trained me to hear God's voice. I learned to stay yoked to him through faith, rest, and humility when my own strength fell short. Humility is a constant companion when you are desperately waiting for something. Dependency on God makes you realize just how small you really are. Strangely, I found that it brought freedom. It also gives strength in the spiritual battles that come daily. The apostle Paul discovered this same aspect of God's grace during his own times of trial. He had pleaded with God to take away what the Bible calls a "thorn in the flesh," some weakness or affliction that Paul said tormented him. But the Lord comforted Paul with these words, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul eventually got to the point that he welcomed weakness and hardship and could even say, "When I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). As a wise friend once remarked after weathering multiple family tragedies, her faith still strong, "Control is just an illusion." And despite all my tools, tips, personal disciplines, and strategies for prayer, I keep learning the same lesson—some of God's most amazing work occurs when I am flattened by life. What does that have to do with our power in prayer? Just this—our times of weakness don't repel God or wreck our prayers. In fact, God's grace shines brightest through our broken places. If you have crash landed into the end of your own strength and have nothing to bring to God but your broken places, give thanks. For you just may discover that his strength really does work best when you are weak. Like Paul, you may experience your greatest spiritual victories. This time of brokenness could be the most valuable thing you bring to your personal journey in prayer. You may be on the brink of seeing your mess become your miracle. For it's when we are broken that we're most likely to hear God's whispers and experience his greatest power.

by Marilynn Chadwick I echo nineteenth-century, Yale-educated scholar and theologian R.A. Torrey when he said, "There is a devil. That's why we pray." And if you ask me why it's important to bring order and discipline to our lives for the purpose of prayer, I would add, "Because we are in a spiritual war." The Bible admonishes us to live daily as sober-minded and watchful, because "the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8 ESV). Anyone with combat experience will tell you that alertness and preparation, along with mindfulness to details, can make the difference in victory or defeat, life or death. Our oldest son attended a military academy in Virginia for one year after high school to play for their top-ranked prep basketball team. He and his teammates banked on the fact that though it was sure to be tough, this experience would help them become bigger, faster, quicker, and stronger ball players. The school's success in launching Division One college players spoke for itself. But life at a military academy is not what you'd call fun. Our son would never tell you he liked being in full dress, at attention, and ready to march by 6 A.M. Nor did he enjoy the strict discipline and freakish attention to detail. His shoes had to be lined up to an exact inch from the wall. The sink could have no toothpaste traces, and his bed had to be made with absolutely no wrinkles—all before the sun came up. Some cadets even slept on top of the already made beds, and threw an extra blanket over them at night, rather than face an imperfectly made bed, subsequent demerits, and the hours of marching around the "bull ring" that were sure to follow. Oh, and did I mention the "buzz cuts?" At the year's end, our son headed off to fulfill his dream of playing Division One college basketball. Other cadets headed for West Point or the Naval Academy, and eventually to combat. Over its one-hundred-plus year history, the school has sent scores of young men off to fight, and some to die, defending our nation's freedom. A sign on their campus wall prominently displays this Revolutionary War quote, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." The Bible encourages us to be similarly vigilant in guarding our spiritual freedom. We are told to always be alert and to "pray without ceasing." Yet life moves at such a fast pace—sometimes we forget to guard that line of communication with God. A person who decides to follow Christ will face struggles with the world, the devil, and our own human nature or what the Bible calls "the flesh." Paul knew that the battle had to be fought on all sides. Our human body is still earthbound and subject to all kinds of desires and propensities to get off track. We must take charge of it, so it doesn't control us. I've discovered that some of my toughest spiritual battles have been the battles with myself. That's why the Bible teaches that self-discipline is important to the believer who wants to win at spiritual war. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful," the writer of Hebrews tells us. "Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11 NIV). As someone wisely said, "Peace, like war, must be waged."

by Marilynn Chadwick There are some spiritual battles that leave us so weak that we must lean on the help of a few good friends. It was one of those times for the paralytic in Luke 5. We don't know the man's ailment or all he had suffered. We do know he was helpless and unable to get to Jesus by himself. A few friends carried him on a mat to see the Master. Their way was blocked by the crowds. So, they ingeniously climbed on the roof, hauled up their sick buddy, cut a hole in the roof, and lowered him through the tiles—right in front of Jesus! Instead of rebuking them, Jesus (perhaps with a smile), commended their faith. Right then and there, he healed their friend. Let's reflect on this remarkable scenario: "And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven" (Luke 5:17-20 NIV). Notice that Jesus saw the faith of the sick man's friends. He forgave the man's sins and healed his infirmity! I wonder what it was about the faith of a few friends that ignited this miracle. Their persistence? Their audacity? Their willingness to step outside the customary bounds? Or just maybe it was their love for their dear friend. I like to think that these guys had suffered with their buddy. Prayed for him. Refused to give up on him. They did whatever it took to get him to Jesus. Ultimately, they believed in the power of Jesus to set their friend free. These guys were true intercessors. I once had a friend who wrestled with a cruel and long-standing addiction. Complicated by a history of childhood abuse and a host of serious medical problems, she reached the point of exhaustion and hopelessness. She even considered ending her life. And then, in stepped a few good friends. Together, they did battle to find a place of recovery for my friend and the means to get there. Grace and mercy in action. And how they did pray! I watched this little team of friends demonstrate the power of persistent prayer and loving action. They "carved a hole in the roof" to place their friend at the feet of Jesus. Isn't this our calling as believers? It was Jesus himself who reminded us that there is no greater love than to lay down our life for our friends. We are called to be vessels of the same mercy we've received from the Lord. I'll leave you with my favorite definition of mercy: "Mercy is the willingness to enter the chaos of another person's life." Lord, make us willing to become your vessels of mercy.

by Marilynn Chadwick I once saw an old Tarzan movie in which the ape man was peering at a droplet of water through a microscope. The instrument had been brought to Africa by Jane's father, Professor Porter. Tarzan was quite shaken to see that the water he drank daily was teeming with all kinds of organisms, invisible to the naked eye. Similarly, the Bible reveals that our spiritual atmosphere is filled with unseen enemies—the source of our spiritual battles. "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12 NLT). I wonder how we'd react if we could catch a glimpse of the spirits in the invisible heavenly places. Like Tarzan, I imagine we'd be shocked. The Bible doesn't spend a lot of time describing this spiritual realm. It does, however, give us instructions on how to do battle. We're given a detailed list of spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:10-20. One of my personal favorite battle tactics is found in James 4:7 (NET): "Submit to God…resist the devil and he will flee from you." But one of the most powerful weapons to deal with the powers of darkness is the weapon of praise. Praising the Lord, while also giving thanks, fights our enemy in ways we don't fully understand. Yet this tactic is surprisingly powerful, so it's worth emphasizing. I have an 80-year-old friend who has been a powerful Bible teacher for over 50 years. She recently shared with me that she considers praise to be the strongest weapon in her prayer arsenal. The New Testament is filled with stories which illustrate the power of praise. We see Paul and Silas singing and praising God in a Philippian jail—their chains fell off, the jailer accepted Jesus, and his whole family became believers (Acts 16:22-34). The Old Testament, too, tells stories of praise and its mighty power. King Jehosophat and the people of Israel were being attacked by their enemies. Defeat looked certain, but Jehosophat sought the Lord. "After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!' At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves" (2 Chronicles 20:21-22). Perhaps you're facing a fierce spiritual battle. You've resisted, and prayed, and fought the good fight. But you're exhausted. Why not take a lesson from King Jehosophat? This may be your strategic moment to simply thank God and praise him for his goodness. Let him fight this battle. Rest in his power—even if you don't fully understand. Remember how the devil and his minions hate praise. So, if you can just stand firm and continue to praise and thank God in the middle of your trouble, I believe you will ultimately see the devil flee. After all, he is allergic to praise.

by Marilynn Chadwick Continued from Friday… Elijah was known as a man who listened to God. Repeatedly in the Bible, we read that "the word of the Lord came to Elijah." He saw miracle after miracle as he stepped out in obedience to God's voice. Elijah has plenty to teach us about how to pray during a time of crisis. The prophet had faced his own personal battle with terror. After an enormous fight of faith in which he defeated a demonized mob of over four-hundred prophets of Baal, Elijah was the target of a death threat by the wicked Queen Jezebel. Elijah's deliverance came as he ultimately learned to hear God, not in the earthquake, wind, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. After the turmoil and fear that followed the shocking terror attack on 9/11, I was desperate to listen to God, too. Not in the fiery drama in the world around us, but rather in "the still, small voice" of the heart. Somehow, I just knew that if God were to give me instructions about how to pray, it would not be in the first voice—the tumultuous roar I heard in my head, with its temptation to panic—but rather in the second voice, a voice of calm. I had seen a statue of the prophet Elijah when visiting Israel years earlier. The sinewy, fireball of a man looked more warrior than prophet. After praying for God to bring drought as judgment upon faithless Israel, he gave a whipping to the evil mob of 400 pagan prophets in his own "Super Bowl of faith." The feisty prophet then climbed to a mountain-top to pray for rain—and ran the distance of a full marathon to beat Ahab back to Jezreel in time to await the downpour (you can read the full story in 1 Kings 18:22-40). Yet, after all that, when faced with retaliatory death threats from Ahab's wicked wife, Queen Jezebel, Elijah had a serious meltdown. "Terrified," we're told in 1 Kings 19:3, Elijah "ran for his life." This self-described zealot for God, the steely, iron-man-triathlete of faith had exhausted himself into what we would call today a clinical depression. "I am ready to die," he told God. He felt alone and utterly defeated—as broken down as the rest of Israel. But herein lies the secret: When Elijah broke, he knew where to run. Elijah ran to Mount Horeb—the place where he knew he would encounter God. And what did God do? Fed him, put him to sleep, fed him again. Only after this period of intensive rest and refueling did the Lord speak to Elijah. This time, God was not in the earthquake, wind or fire, but rather in a gentle whisper. And in this intimate conversation—humbled yet renewed after his time of utter brokenness—Elijah saw a new side of God, and probably a new side of himself. Though fervent in faith and mighty in strength, Elijah had discovered the full extent of God's great love for him during his time of greatest weakness. When you break, where do you run? It's during these times of absolute breaking that we become most receptive to God's voice.

by Marilynn Chadwick Precision is important in spiritual as well as earthly battles. A turning point in World War II weapon technology was the development of precision bombing. Through a somewhat crude forerunner of the Global Positioning System (GPS), precision bombing enabled the United States to focus on bombing German military sites, and especially artillery arsenals, decreasing the civilian casualties. I once heard the story of a young WWII bomber pilot who wrote to his family, "I consider myself a pacifist. Nothing in me wants to harm the German people. But when I remember Hitler and the horror inflicted by the Nazis, I am compelled to destroy the evil." Precision bombing allowed our fighter pilots in WWII to focus their attack on the enemy and, as much as possible, avoid the innocent. After the shocking events of September 11, 2001, I began reading from 1st Peter, a letter addressed to early Christians who were facing great danger and persecution. Peter shares survival secrets for what to do when times look darkest. "The end of all things is near," he writes. Therefore be "self-controlled and alert" so that you can pray (1 Peter 4:7, GNT). His encouragement was not to have passion or power as a starting point, but rather self-control and alertness. In order for prayer to be as powerful as the Bible promises, it needs to include precision, skill, and discipline. I envisioned a brain surgeon enduring years of education, training, and practice to develop the necessary precision to operate in the delicate minefields of the mind—knowing just where to cut. I was eager to learn more about just how and where to precisely focus my prayers. In the quiet of my car that day as the events of 9/11 swirled around us, I purposed then and there that I would begin to pray with more practice and precision. And although I wasn't a soldier, I decided to sign up for my own version of a tour of duty, to be available to God in prayer. Not just for my own needs and worries, but for the worries of the world. And since I hadn't a clue as to what this should look like, I asked God to guide me. But how could I hear the voice of God amidst all the chaos and turmoil in my head after the terrorist attacks? I continued to search the pages of the Bible. There I discovered a prayer mentor in the prophet Elijah. Elijah is described in the book of James as "a person just like us" (James 5:17). Yet Elijah "prayed earnestly" that it wouldn't rain for three-and-a-half years and it didn't. Then he reversed his prayer, praying for rain—and "the heavens gave rain." His prayers had impact on an entire nation. The prayers of even one righteous person, James tells us, are "powerful and effective." The Bible teaches us that no one is "perfectly righteous." Let's remind ourselves of the only solid footing for prayer—the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22, 23). This understanding is crucial to our confidence in prayer. To be continued on Monday…

by Marilynn Chadwick Thomas Edison tried unsuccessfully over ten thousand times before his final breakthrough invention of the electric light bulb. The Wright brothers experienced hundreds of crashes before their breakthrough in flight. And countless scientists performed endless experiments before breakthroughs in DNA research. Breakthroughs in any endeavor require perseverance. Especially in the spiritual realm, when we seem to crash headlong into a formidable yet unseen enemy again and again. If we want to experience power in our prayers, we can learn a lesson from the Psalmist and warrior-king David. Years earlier, he had conquered the Philistine giant Goliath. But here he is again, facing the Philistine army not far from the very site of his famous face-to-face encounter with the giant. This time, the Philistines waged their attack in the Valley of Rephaim, which means "the valley of giants" or "the valley of trouble." Though a seasoned warrior, David pauses to pray, asking God for his marching orders. So, David asked God, "Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord replied, "Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you." So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. "God did it!" David exclaimed. "He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!" So they named that place Baal-perazim, which means "the Lord who bursts through" (1 Chronicles 14:10, 11 NLT). The Philistines abandoned their gods and fled. However, they soon returned to raid the valley one more time. Even with the memory of the first victory still fresh in his mind, David prays to the Lord and listens for his strategy: Once again David asked God what to do. "Do not attack them straight on," God replied. "Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army." So David did what God commanded, and they struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. David's fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear David (1 Chronicles 14:14-17). Good thing David was listening carefully, for God's strategy this time required a very different response. I'm reminded of the Lion Aslan's comment to Lucy in C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series: "Things never happen the same way twice." God may act very differently than we experienced in our last challenge. Persevere in your battle, my friend. Pray to God for guidance. Then, listen carefully for his instructions. Pause and really listen. You might be surprised at his answer. Then obey immediately. Seek God every time, before every battle. Approach him for wisdom daily. Humility is the mark of a good soldier. And remember, he rarely does things the same way twice. I pray that your "Valley of Trouble" becomes the very place where you encounter Jesus, your "Lord of the Breakthrough."

by Marilynn Chadwick I've always loved sports—so it naturally follows that I love athletes. I am married to a former basketball player and mother to a volleyball player, a basketball player, and a swimmer. There is much to be learned about our spiritual life from observing the personal discipline of athletes. The Apostle Paul must have loved sports, too. He likens the hard work of training for a sport to his own life of faith. "I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step," he writes. "I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should so that after preaching to others, I will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT). Instead of "discipline," some translations use the word "buffet," a word which means "to treat roughly." The word buffet came even more alive for me one summer when I watched our youngest son along with hundreds of highly ranked swimmers compete in their national championship meet. After the grueling hours of practice, these athletes were "buff" in every way. Finely chiseled muscles bore witness to hours in the pool, hours with weights, hours of running, all for the love of the sport. With a body builder, the goal is a muscular body. But for a swimmer, the body is simply a tool to use for the sport. Their sculpted physique is not for show—rather it enables these athletes to swim incredibly fast. Sports provide a great metaphor for the training necessary to develop the habit of continual and effectual prayer. It's not that prayer itself is always hard. Often, it's like breathing. But to stay alert, mindful, available to listen—this kind of prayer can be hard in our fast-paced world. And getting up early to carve out time to read God's Word and pray takes discipline and commitment. Persistence in prayer when we are in pain, when all we can see with our "natural" eyes looks hopeless, and when answers are slow in coming can be grinding. No wonder Paul tells the church in Colossae about his friend, Epaphras. Paul told them that behind the scenes, this guy was continually "laboring" in prayer for them (Colossians 4:12,13). The Greek word for "labor" is agonizomai, from which we get "agony." For a swimmer, practice can be repetitious, exhausting, even agonizing. There are competitions when athletes feel stuck. There seems to be no progress—personal times don't budge. But then there are breakthrough races when times are shattered, records broken. These are the rewards for all the work and daily practices. Why do swimmers train, and train, and train some more? Simply for the love of the race. I hope you will develop such a love for God's Word and an expectancy of answered prayer that it's worth it to train day after day. You may not see immediate answers, but God has promised to reward your faithfulness. Remember—God is "a rewarder of those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). I truly believe there are mountain-moving answers and breakthrough races of faith in store if you put your whole heart into prayer.

by Marilynn Chadwick How often do you take time to really listen to God? Many of us blow through our days without thinking about God. Even our alone times are filled with so much noise that it can be hard to hear his voice above the fray. It was the seventeenth century theologian Francois Fenelon who said, "How rare it is to find a soul still enough to hear God speak." I believe that training my heart to hear (and obey) God's voice is my most important task on earth. No doubt it has the most eternal impact. Maybe you've discovered that listening for God's voice is not always easy. Every voice you hear in your head is not from God. We pick up signals from the world, our flesh, and even our enemy, the devil. The Bible tells us he can disguise himself as "an angel of light." Personally, I find the devil sometimes speaks with a Southern accent sounding remarkably like me! Because we live in such a busy, noisy world, we must be determined to get quiet long enough to hear God's voice—especially his whispers. That's why I periodically need to refresh my "spiritual listening skills." I'll share a few practical tips I've discovered along the way. Start with Scripture. God's Word is filled with ways to strengthen your power in prayer. Over the years, I have seen amazing answers to prayer. I've learned from experience that God can be trusted to speak to me through the pages of Scripture. It's no wonder God's Word is called the "sword of the spirit." It is also referred to as being "living and active" (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). I find it helps to have teammates, fellow seekers to provide encouragement and accountability. This helps me stay on task and remain wholehearted in my call to pray. It helps to add a bit of structure to my commitment to seek God. Getting started can be simple: Pick out a special place for prayer. A favorite chair, a corner of your study, your back porch. Wherever you feel close to God. This is your spot. Carve out early time for prayer. My time alone with God is my first hour and sets the tone for the rest of my day. I like to call this my "power hour." Gather your tools: A Bible, a notebook or journal, maybe a favorite devotional. Begin now to talk to God and tell him that you want to learn to hear his voice more clearly. You might not notice much at first, but I can assure you. If you are serious about seeking God wholeheartedly, the rewards will come. Ask God who is on his heart—pray he will prompt you to pray for people, places, and situations you may not have considered. Expect to be surprised at the doors he opens. Above all, be intentional. Make prayer your top priority. Make it your goal to pray throughout the day—keep a running conversation with your heavenly Father. The Lord gives us a promise: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

by Marilynn Chadwick We are living in turbulent times. The Middle East has erupted into a rapidly escalating war between Israel and Iran. No one can predict the full impact of this explosive conflict. Russia and Ukraine remain locked in their ongoing battle. Wars and rumors of wars abound. Strange weather patterns threaten many, as do virulent diseases and disasters. Our streets and cities grow more violent. Jesus told his disciples that these and other signs would point to his imminent return (Matthew 24). The Doctrine of Imminence refers to the belief that the return of Jesus Christ (the Rapture) is possible at any moment. It emphasizes a constant state of readiness and expectancy among believers as they live in anticipation of Christ's soon return. If you read the New Testament with this doctrine in mind, you'll notice every author believed Jesus's return was imminent, yet there is no hint of panic. For example, the apostle Peter writes, "The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:7-10 NIV). But notice this: When the "end of all things is near," Peter doesn't warn us to flee, panic, or shelter in place. The very first thing Peter instructs when the end is near is to pray. Peter also urges us to love others fervently, to be hospitable, and to use our gifts to serve others and penetrate darkness with light. He reminds us to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). During Peter's day and throughout church history, many have sensed the return of Jesus could happen at any moment. Whether we believe Jesus's return is soon or years in coming, we can learn from Martin Luther's strong admonition: "Preach [and live] like Jesus was crucified yesterday, rose from the dead today, and is coming back tomorrow." How do we pray? And more specifically, how should we live as we wait for Jesus's return? The Bible gives us our marching orders. As we wait for Jesus's return, we must remain attached to Jesus and keep the "oil in our lamp," which represents being continually filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 25:1-13). We are to faithfully serve the least and the lost while we wait for our soon coming king (Matthew 25: 24-40). Above all, we must always be on the lookout. Jesus exhorts us, "Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" (Matthew 25:13). If you thought the time was short, would you hustle to share the Gospel? How would your investment of time, talents, and treasures be different if you thought Jesus's return was imminent? Remember, prayer precedes everything else. Jesus reminds us to "pray earnestly to the Lord of the Harvest. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" (Luke 10:2 ESV). Why not start today with this simple prayer, "Lord, send me."

by Marilynn Chadwick All three of our now grown children especially looked forward to the end of our Day Off, which they referred to as "Family Home Night." These were weekly times of shared togetherness at the close of Sabbath and included special movies, family prayers, Bible stories, and make-your-own-pizzas. The movies we selected didn't always have a spiritual message, but they helped reinforce a value or character quality such as perseverance, compassion, kindness, or courage. Our family movies often launched spontaneous times of talking, sharing, laughing, and dreaming. The kids seemed to take this time to heart. Early on, we decided Family Home Night was not a "friend-sleepover night," but no one seemed to mind. They grew to eagerly anticipate the much-needed space set aside for rest and time with just our family. They felt renewed by the safe haven of home. Refreshed, they were ready to reenter the fray. I have found that Sabbath and giving space to share stories seem to go together. This was especially evident during our mission trips to other cultures. There, life moves at a slower pace. There, we forget our to-do list and welcome the unexpected. This is often the case in places where war or suffering have torn the people and their land. I remember the young Rwandan mother, a survivor of the horrific genocide. She shared her story of pain after our worship service together. I was amazed by her courage and strength. She said, "It is good to know you have not forgotten us." We kept in touch for years, but it was Sabbath-keeping that opened the door for our shared stories and friendship. Sabbath goes against the grain of a world that is too busy to care. Sabbath is life in slower motion. For this reason, Sabbath lends itself to sharing our stories, fears, burdens, testimonies, hopes and dreams. We were not created to experience Sabbath in isolation. I wonder if biblical Sabbath-keeping could become a powerful counter-cultural strategy in a world which thirsts for freedom from overwork, idolatry, and isolation. In a world that desperately needs shalom. A few questions to get you thinking. You may want to experiment until you find the rhythm of rest that works best for you or your family. How often does your family take a day off where you don't do work, housework, or yard work? Describe the perfect day off. Where would you go and with whom? Is there a nearby park or hiking trail you enjoy? What activities do you and your family enjoy at home together? What activities do you enjoy doing alone? Would you invite a friend to join you in the activity? What are some good movies or books you could reserve for your weekly "Day Off?" Are there special treats you could plan ahead? Ideas: Make your own pizza; popcorn with sea salt and coconut oil, drizzled with dark chocolate. Think of fun snacks that don't require much preparation. Are you one who enjoys cooking or is "Door Dash" your new best friend? How can you plan a special meal ahead of time that you or your family would enjoy on your day off? What gets in the way of taking a day off each week? Conflicting job schedules, family members with different routines, kids' sports? Are there changes that would help? What are creative ways you or your family could read the Bible and pray together on your day off—maybe over a cup of specialty coffee in a nearby park or quiet setting? What is your most significant "takeaway" from the teachings on Sabbath? Is there one change you can make today to begin to enjoy God's gift of rest?

by Marilynn Chadwick In addition to "not working" on the Sabbath, the observant Jew also practices "not worrying." Seriously. How does one "not worry?" Is that even possible? A friend coined this snappy little acronym: W.O.R.R.Y: Worry Only Robs Rest from You It's true. Worrying is exhausting. I realize as believers in Jesus, we're not obligated to keep Sabbath according to any particular formula or law. But a true confession. After some honest reflection, I've come to realize that worry actually drains my energy and robs my inner peace way more than work does. Worry (translated as "I really, really care") seems logical, even useful. I have plenty of excuses for why I worry: "I just have a vivid imagination." "I have lots to do." "There are so many people I care about." Worry just comes with the territory, right? No. Not if we look at what the Bible says. I've been reflecting lately on Paul's words about worry: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything." Next, he says to "tell God what you need and thank Him for what he has already done" (Phil 4:6, 7 NLT). These are training tips from a guy in prison who was always in danger of getting killed. But look at the amazing promise in verse 8: "Then God's peace, which is greater than the human mind can understand, will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Wow. Prayer sounds like a much better use of my energy than worrying. I wonder if turning my "cares into prayers" (in the words of Charles Spurgeon) might be one way to stop this pesky Sabbath thief at the door? Not worrying on the Sabbath—or any other day for that matter—now that's new territory! I truly want to learn to walk more solidly in my faith and drive out worry. But old habits die hard, so I'll have to be patient with myself. Maybe you'd like to share some useful tips for how you deal with worry. Remember, we're all in this together. Let's encourage each other as we learn how to rest worry free.

by Marilynn Chadwick It's been said that Americans are the only people who worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship. Maybe that's why keeping Sabbath is so hard. Many of us enjoy feeling productive, and taking a day off seems to slow us down. The word Sabbath, or sabat in Hebrew, means "to cease, desist, rest." Put another way, Sabbath simply means to stop working. The very first use of sabat, translated "rest," in the Bible is in Genesis 2:2-3 NIV: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Sabbath can be described as taking one day each week to rest from our work. Work six days and rest one, a rhythm which follows God's pattern as Creator. Work and rest are holy. Both are an example of what it means to be created in the image of God. So what are some practical ways to embrace rest and resist overworking? Perhaps we can learn a few tips on Sabbath-keeping from observant Jews. Worship, rest, family time, taking a walk, and reading are among the activities considered good Sabbath practices by the faithful Jew. What is not good on the Sabbath can be summed up in three words: "work, commerce [shopping and spending], and worry." During their trek through the desert, God instructed the children of Israel to gather manna for six days and rest on the seventh, a type of training ground for later Sabbath-keeping (Exodus 16:5). Even before Moses received the Ten Commandments, God was training the Israelites in rhythms of rest. When God gave Moses the law, he reminded Moses of how he brought the Israelites out of slavery. "Slaves cannot take a day off; free people can," writes theologian Dorothy Bass. In her book "Keeping Sabbath, Practicing Our Faith," she sounds a wake-up call for Christians to return to the practice of Sabbath-keeping. Sabbath rest is a weekly testimony against the perpetual grind of a slave's work, she adds. It gives us a picture of who God is and what it means to be created in his image. God's fourth commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy," points us back to Creation (Exodus 20:8 NIV). More words are used to explain this one than any of the other nine, so Sabbath-keeping must be important to God. Sabbath makes space for nurturing our families, our church, and our communities. Sabbath-keeping helps us care for our souls in an age when many are desperately thirsty for inner peace. Rest from our work is also a theological theme woven throughout the Bible. It describes the liberating life of grace for the believer who has found true rest in Christ's salvation. Perhaps St. Augustine could have been hinting at our need for Sabbath rest when he made this famous statement in his Confessions: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

by Marilynn Chadwick I am reminded of the time David and I were invited to teach a marriage seminar to a large gathering of young couples. Wanting to focus on real life issues, we each made a separate list of our "Top Ten Marriage Tips." However, we decided not to reveal the results of our lists to one another until the moment we actually presented the message to our audience. It was fun to compare the different habits, practices, and insights we each felt had strengthened our marriage—right in front of our listeners. When it came time to "reveal" our top marriage tip, it turns out David and I had both chosen the same "Number One Marriage Tip." It was simply this: Take one day off together every week. In other words, "Keep your Sabbath." Ironically, this was the very same advice our first ministry-couple mentors had shared with us way back when we were newlyweds. We took their advice to heart and over 45 years later, we still take our day off together each week. If you factor it over our 45-plus years of marriage and ministry, that's about 2,000 Sabbaths! Sabbath-keeping obviously looks different for our family since ministers typically work on Sunday, the day when many Christians celebrate Sabbath. Our Day Off is Friday. While we don't adhere to a rigid set of rules, we have landed on some practices which make this day special, fun, even holy. We look forward to our weekly ritual of enjoying our favorite coffee. Parked in a quiet setting surrounded by nature, we share thoughts about our week and read through a few Bible passages. Often, we highlight and journal our specific prayer needs or play worship music. We sometimes laugh and cry about the joys and sorrows of family and ministry. Long walks are a favorite, along with Netflix and special snacks reserved just for Day Off. It's more about the regularity of Sabbath than any specific ritual. But God seems so very present on those sacred, sanctified, set apart days. Our weekly Day Off is more than just time away from work— it is a "want to," not a "have to." A gift of grace. These times build fresh hope and healing. Our weekly Sabbath has provided life-giving boundaries to the rigors of ministry and gives creative space for our marriage and children to flourish. Like many today, our lives are very busy. Ministry comes with unexpected demands and emergencies. But most often, we're able to keep our Sabbath calm and free from work. We believe our family and church have benefitted from our commitment to this God-ordained, ancient practice. What are some ways you can begin to create a rhythm of rest into your own lifestyle?

by Marilynn Chadwick Are you feeling tired today? Maybe you worked late, slept poorly, tried to juggle too many tasks, attempted to solve too many problems, took on too much responsibility for everything and everybody around you. It seems you're not alone. America is a nation obsessed with rest—or the lack of it. At my children's high school one year, teachers sent home a disturbing article about sleep deprived teenagers. Researchers are telling us that people now fantasize about sleep! It seems the average person is very, very tired. You may be working harder, running faster, accomplishing more and more… but who's watching out for your soul? "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 NIV I've been drawn to Jesus's promise of rest after observing some very "exhausted souls" lately. Exhaustion can manifest itself as anxiety, depression, illness, addiction, or even self-destructive behaviors. This has left me thinking. Why are so many people crashing and burning? What would happen if we revived the spiritual practice of Sabbath-keeping? I wonder if Sabbath—in whatever ways we choose to practice it—might help set us free from the weight of unhealthy expectations and lessen the anxieties of fast-paced living? Since the time of ancient Israel, Sabbath-keeping has been a life-giving gift of God. Sabbath was meant to refresh our relationship with God and one another. For the next several days, we'll explore the biblical and practical foundations of Sabbath-keeping. How does this once-a-week gift of rest bring peace to those who embrace it? How is Sabbath woven into God's covenant with Israel? What significance does it have for Christians today? We'll also explore some practical ways we can experience the rest of Sabbath in a busy, noisy world.

by David Chadwick Self-control. This is the ninth and final fruit of the Spirit. When you are connected to the Spirit, you have the power to discipline and crucify even the strongest lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:17). I once heard a story of a pastor who never taught self-control to his people because he couldn't govern his own eating habits. Shame on him! This last fruit of the Spirit should never be overlooked because of someone's fleshly inadequacies or impulses. Someone who lacks self-control in one area inadvertently leaves the door open to lacking self-control in other areas of life. When you refuse to live a disciplined, self-controlled life, you are walking in the utmost selfishness. While you can be delivered from a demon, you can't get delivered from your flesh. You must discipline your flesh and let it die. Only by renewing your mind can you reckon your flesh dead (Romans 12:2). The Bible says that when you put your trust and hope in Jesus, you have been crucified with Christ. You no longer live, but Christ now lives in you (Galatians 2:20). Slowly but surely, your flesh remains dead as you reckon it dead. And as you rightly see your flesh crucified with Christ, your true identity will emerge as a son or daughter of the Most High King of the Universe and the fruit of the Spirit will begin to flow through your life more and more, giving you more self-control. Because of Jesus, you can conquer your lusts, your sins, your flesh. But the key is found in abiding in Christ and remaining connected to the Spirit. We must cling to the message of abiding in John 15:7. As we remain in Christ, we will bear much fruit! Finally, notice Paul ends this list with, "And against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:23). What does this mean? Well, it is actually quite simple. It means that the fruit of the Holy Spirit cannot come through the Law. You can't muster up enough obedience. You can't try harder or work more to possess these nine fruit of the Spirit. They only and always come from abiding. Be one with Jesus. Rest and remain in him. As you do, ALL the fruit, every one of these nine, will show up in the life of a follower of Jesus. What happens when it starts to go away? Go back and check the power source. Make sure you are connected to the vine (John 15:5). These "fruit" are guaranteed to the Christ follower who abides in Jesus. Apart from him we can do nothing…but connected to him, all things are possible!

by David Chadwick Gentleness is the eighth fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for gentleness is praus. It's the only adjective Jesus ever uses to describe himself (Matthew 11:30). The word literally means "bridled power." Picture a fierce, strong stallion who is bridled by a rider. It is able to run and jump over high walls, but because of the bridle in its mouth is able to correctly direct the powerful force within. This is true gentleness. Philippians 4:5 says, "Let your reasonableness be known to everyone." Other translations say to let your gentleness be evident to all. Surely there is an aspect of gentleness that is steady, reasonable, certain. A sure-footed and secure disposition. Gentleness also implies great humility, which shows us why Jesus used it to describe himself. Jesus was the ultimate display of humility and used his supernatural strength to give his life away as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). We see another example of the Father's heart of gentleness in Isaiah 40:11, "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." When gentleness is evident in the life of a believer, humility permeates everything! Tenderness will shine through your interactions. You will know that all of your gifts and talents are bridled by the Holy Spirit, controlled by him, and are to be used for his glory. A gentle life seeks the will of the Spirit, knowing that all glory belongs to God and every good and perfect gift comes from him (James 1:17). As you operate more and more in humility, you will learn to reflect Jesus more and more. A life controlled by the Holy Spirit will reflect submission to the Father, even in the midst of your humanity. Tough and tender. Strong and loving. This is gentleness. Let's all be more and more connected to the Spirit and pray he will give us more gentleness.

by David Chadwick The seventh fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness. One element of faithfulness is seeking to cultivate a life full of faith. Pursuing faith. Questing after it. Asking God for more and more faith. Constantly living in a way that says to our Father, "I believe but help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). After all, without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Take a moment and read through Hebrews 11. Many scholars refer to this chapter as the "Hall of Faith" because it highlights the faith that is woven throughout all of Scripture in different characters. Hebrews 11:1-3 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." When faithfulness is evident in your life, it does not just mean that you cultivate a life of faith, but it also means that you become more faithful. You become a person of your word. More loyal. More stable. You do what you say you'll do. You let your yes be yes and your no be no (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). You fight against thinking too highly of yourself, against vanity and selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3). You refrain from flattering yourself and self-congratulation. A faithful and faith-filled life does what the Master Jesus tells you to do. A person of faithfulness has the greatest desire to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant" at the end of life (Matthew 25:21). Today, pray for God to grow faith inside of you, but also pray that God's faithfulness will increase inside of you in every area of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to be faithful to complete the work that Jesus has begun inside of you (Philippians 1:6).

by David Chadwick Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…then the sixth fruit of the Spirit is goodness. Galatians 6:10 says we are to "do good to everyone." God is good and his mercies endure forever (Psalm 100:5). There is nothing evil in him. He cannot coexist with evil because he is good and there can be no evil in him. Because God is good, his actions toward us are always good. Even in the midst of pain and confusion, his goodness reigns. As followers of Jesus, we can remain confident that he will work all things together for our good according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). This reality and promise should leave us with immense peace. Because of the love of Jesus, we are now able to display the goodness we have received from him to those around us. The bride of Christ should be the biggest display of goodness that the world has ever seen. Goodness is another fruit that is outward in focus. When you are connected to the Spirit, goodness will flow through you and you will be a strong reflection of the Father's goodness. The church should be on a constant lookout for how to do good in this world. Why? So that we can reflect the goodness of God to others. In Galatians 6:10, Paul shares how the Galatian Christians should be good toward one another. He says, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." I pray today for God's goodness to increase in your life by the power of the Spirit. Then, ask him how you can show his goodness in your world. Maybe it's through an encouraging word? Giving someone a gift? Writing someone a letter? Sending someone some money? Pray and ask him to show you a good act that will reflect God's goodness in and through you to someone else.

by David Chadwick The fifth fruit of the Spirit is kindness. The dictionary definition of kindness is "the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate." What a rich word! In the Greek language (chrestotes), it is defined as excellence or uprightness. Kindness is a fruit that is mostly directed toward another person. Generally speaking, kindness is meant to benefit those who are in our immediate circle and those around the world. Kindness is what drives the bride of Christ to serve and to give our lives away. Kindness is what compels us to a life of sacrifice. Jesus calls his followers to serve, not to be served. Jesus himself "came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). However, I will add, one will only be as kind to others as he or she is willing to be kind to himself or herself. You must learn to be kind to yourself so that your life will extend kindness to those around you. If you do not see yourself as a blood-bought, redeemed, purchased son or daughter of the Most High God, you will have a hard time treating others the way God sees them. As Paul said in Romans 2:2: "Let the kindness of God bring you to repentance." As you are reminded of your own forgiveness, you will show goodness to others. You will be generous with others. You will be able to show both sympathy and empathy. Empathy is especially important because it allows you to jump into someone else's shoes and have a heart of understanding for their situation. Empathy is the ability to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. This, too, is an attitude of God. It is the kindness of God that draws us to repentance. Seeing God's kindness should prompt us to change our hearts to be more like him, eschewing anything that is contrary to his will and character. As we pray and abide, may we all be driven deeper into the Spirit, who will then naturally give us more kindness toward others.

by David Chadwick Patience is a virtue… but it's also a fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are an all for one and one for all package deal. Once you abide in Christ and Christ in you, you will bear much fruit (John 15:5). When we are abiding with Jesus, connected to the Spirit, we will operate in patience. The word patience in the Greek is makrothymia. It means long suffering or fortitude. It implies a willingness to be willing to wait in spite of what our eyes can see. In the Amplified Bible, patience is described not as "the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting." Patience is proven in a heart that trusts every minute and second to God's perfect, providential plan. It is evidenced in a heart that is yielded to God's timetable for everything. As we learn to wait on the Lord and trust him in everything, our strength arises. Isaiah 40:31 says, "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Even in the midst of chaos and destruction, we can remain confident that God has neither abandoned us nor his world. As we remain in the waiting room of faith, God builds us and makes us stronger. Do any of you lift weights? If so, you know that weight lifters are made stronger by lifting heavier weights. In the same way, followers of Jesus are made stronger by lifting heavier "waits." Sometimes it is only in the waiting of God's timing and purposes that our spirits become stronger and stronger. Dear friends, did you know that we are in a war? We have been called by God to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, much like David did when he was in great distress (1 Samuel 30:6). David knew the fruit of enduring and being long-suffering. In doing so, we can run and grow weary, walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). I pray for God's Spirit to be enlarged in each of your hearts so that more patience would come to your souls!

by David Chadwick The third fruit of the Spirit is peace. The movie Sister Act 2 has an incredible scene where the nuns perform the song "Ball of Confusion" in a nursing home. Every time I hear this song, I'm reminded that the chaos of humanity has always existed. There has never been a time in history where the devil has not desired to release a ball of confusion all over the world. As the song says, "So, round and around and around we go. Where the world's headed, nobody knows." But in the midst of chaos, Jesus entered the chaos of this world and said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27). As God's children, there are two aspects of his peace that we have access to when we are rightly and securely abiding in his Spirit. First, we have an eternal peace of knowing that we are no longer at war with God. He has reconciled us to himself. We are no longer his enemies. He now calls us friends (John 15:15). This peace accord with God, signed and sealed with Jesus's blood, is irrevocable. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can ever separate us from his love! Second, we have a present peace that is available to us each and every day. Because of Jesus, his Spirit now lives inside of us. So, when storms come, we can now hear Jesus's voice saying to us, "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4:39). Like any good Father, God desires to be on the boat with us as we face the storms of life. Jesus promises to be with us always. Forever. Until the close of the age (Matthew 28:20). He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). And now, we can approach the throne of grace any time, any place, as God's friends. God's peace now resides in us and because of Jesus, we are now at peace with him. From that place of peace, we can boldly ask him anything and know that he hears us and will answer our every prayer according to his perfect will. I pray for the Spirit to give you more peace today and each day moving forward until Jesus returns.

by David Chadwick Joy is a choice. As our church's worship leader says in one of the songs he has written, "I will choose joy!" This one doesn't always come naturally. Without Jesus, it can feel impossible to walk in joy in the midst of this broken world. Remember, where one fruit is present, all nine are present. They are interdependent. But I do love the order because love and joy walk hand in hand. Joy proves that our affections are rightly aligned with God's will. Joy flows out of a heart that loves him. When you are so intimate with the Father in heaven and his Son, Jesus, the Spirit gives our natural affection the joy of an intimate friendship forever. Joy is not happiness. Happiness depends upon circumstances being good. Joy, on the other hand, has nothing to do with circumstances. It only looks at the Beloved, the one who has given us life. That inward joy transcends all that's going on around us. And simply rejoices that his plans and purposes are being carried out in our lives no matter what. The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Our joy is made complete by resting in the one whose joy was made complete in obedience to the Father in heaven (John 15:11). How do you choose joy? By simply focusing on the One in whom you are abiding, resting, and remaining forever. Making sure your connection with Jesus is always secure. The Spirit produces this joy. You simply choose to abide. And then pray for more joy from the Spirit in whom we abide.

by David Chadwick When you have an intimate connection with Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit is evident. The overflow of a Spirit-filled life is a Spirit-led life where the fruit of the spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 are found in ample supply. The first fruit of the Spirit is love. Love is the first fruit of Godly attributes and character found in the life of a believer. I find it so significant that love appears first. The Greek word here is agape. It means unconditional acceptance of another person just the way he or she is. No strings attached. The word agape is used to describe Jesus's love for his people. The Greek people thought that only the gods could love this way. You can imagine their surprise when Christians came in and adopted this word to describe their faith's preeminent virtue. Agape is the highest quality of Christian character (1 Corinthians 13:1-13; 1 Peter 1:5-7). Agape most clearly reflects the character of God, for God himself IS love (1 John 4:8). In addition to his holiness, love describes God. And while we were still sinners, he came and chased us down with his agape love. God sent his son Jesus to die for us. This kind of self-sacrificial love is how Jesus tells us to agape one another and how the world will see that we belong to him (John 13:34-35). The world doesn't have this kind of agape, but followers of Jesus do! How do we have this kind of love? Only by being connected to the Spirit who is perfect agape. Allowing him to flow in and through us and then out to those around us. I pray the Spirit will flow more love in our hearts both today and forever.

by David Chadwick The fruit of the Spirit is one of my favorite things to teach. In fact, every time I think about this topic, I immediately flash back to my daughter Bethany's 6th birthday party. It was a "fruit of the Spirit" themed party. I dressed up as her favorite character called "Sunny Love Tree" and each child who came to the party was given a different fruit of the spirit. That party was one for the books! Much like I, as a Father, long to see my children walking in the light, Jesus longs to see his followers abiding in him. A life that displays the fruit of the Spirit is a life that has learned how to abide in Christ. In John 15:7, Jesus said, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Jesus knew that apart from him, his disciples could do nothing (John 15:5). Notice that none of these fruit are produced through human strength or effort. They don't come out of your striving. They are the mere byproduct of a life that is fully surrendered and yielded to Jesus. Just as an apple tree doesn't have to work hard to produce apples, a follower of Jesus doesn't have to work to produce love. It happens naturally as the root is connected to the healthy soil, which, in turn, produces healthy, luscious fruit. A life rooted in Jesus will produce the fruit of the Spirit. Finally, notice two things as we commence this study. First, "fruit" in the Greek is karpos - a singular term. ALL nine of these fruit should be evident in the life of a believer in Jesus. You don't pick and choose which ones you have. Think of it more like a fruit salad than a bunch of individual fruits. Secondly, take note that it's only through a connection to the Spirit, Christ in you, the Father upon you - all three persons of the Godhead - that produces this fruit. Faith is the connection point. Not human effort. So, as we walk through the next two weeks together, focus on abiding! If not, this fruit will never appear. As we examine each fruit, I pray that you will see the face of Jesus in each one. And that he will encounter you with his love and you will become more like him!

by Marilynn Chadwick We're wrapping up our series on "Fasting." I hope you've experienced a breakthrough in some area where you've felt stuck. The Bible encourages us to pray and fast when we encounter stubborn resistance. Could it be that some battles are harder than others because the enemy knows the stakes are so high? My epiphany came one day in a parking lot, of all places. I was heading home after a quick run for coffee with my husband. From a distance, we saw what appeared to be an aggressive bird battle under some nearby cedar trees. As we got closer, we saw the target of this assault was a very large hawk. His noisy attackers were about half a dozen black crows. The angry birds darted in and out, fiercely attacking the hawk. I have heard that hawks can slice the eyes of their opponents with one swipe from their razor-sharp talons. I, for one, would never mess with a hawk. So what motivated a bunch of pesky crows to be so reckless in their assault? Looking closer, I realized the hawk had some kind of rodent in his clutches. The hawk's "hands were tied," so to speak, and he couldn't defend himself. The black birds knew it and so they were daring and relentless. Not to be outwitted, the hawk suddenly swooped up and sought refuge in the dense and prickly branches of a nearby cedar where he was finally able to enjoy his lunch, uninterrupted. So what's the point? Those blackbirds didn't attack the hawk just to ruin his day. That hawk had something the crows wanted. A nice meal in the form of a freshly caught animal. Predators come after their victims because they want what they have. Perhaps you feel as if you've been fighting unseen enemies that come at you from all sides like a pack of crows. The battle has been fierce. My question for you is simply this: What do you have that the enemy wants? Perhaps he wants to steal your dream. Even a dream that seems ordinary can have far reaching kingdom impact. The enemy doesn't know your future, but he sniffs out your destiny just like those crows sniffed out the hawk's catch. I think back to our long years of infertility and the fierce fight to have a child. I couldn't have known at the time that I was waging a battle, not just for our firstborn daughter, but also for our next baby, a son. Then another son. Now ten grandchildren. Our daughter once remarked, "Mama, you didn't know when you were going through infertility that you were fighting for all these people to be born." The fight was fierce because the enemy wanted what I had. The promise of children. And grandchildren who would glorify God. And generations beyond those. But friends, I had something else the enemy wanted. And so do you. He wanted to steal my testimony. He wanted to make it impossible for me to tell the miraculous story of God's healing which enabled me to have those babies and grandbabies. He wanted to rob me of the chance to encourage others who are waiting for answers to their own prayers. Quite simply, the devil wants to steal the story God is weaving through your dream. Or through this trial you're enduring so bravely. He wants to steal your testimony. Ultimately, he wants to steal God's glory.

by Marilynn Chadwick "Fasting is a little scary," remarked a friend who had decided to fast for the first time. She's right. Whether it's food, a favorite treat, social media or shopping, giving up something we depend upon can leave us feeling empty. Thirsty. Maybe that's why fasting is so powerful. I'm forced to switch my lifeline from food (or whatever) to God himself. I find myself hungrier for his Word and more receptive to his voice. Even Jesus chose to fast before his duel in the desert with the devil. He had just been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, God spoke from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." What an amazing spiritual mountaintop experience! But notice what happened next: "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry" (Matthew 4:1,2 NLT). It was the Holy Spirit himself who led Jesus into the desert. A place of vulnerability and isolation. On top of that, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. Not exactly the breakfast of champions. Why would he physically weaken himself in preparation for the fight of his life? "The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread'" (Matthew 4:3, 4 NIV). The devil's first of three temptations hit Jesus right in the gut, so to speak. He tempts him to turn stones into bread. What could be wrong with that? Jesus could simply try out his divine power. Turning stones into bread wouldn't cost him any money or cause a scandal. And hunger after forty days with no food seems like a legitimate need. But Jesus, weak in body yet mighty Spirit, knew the fight with the devil was not over. His counterattack came straight from the Bible, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'." With each successive temptation, Jesus fired back at the devil with Scripture until the evil one finally slinked away in defeat. For forty days, Jesus had prepared for this time of testing by fasting, praying, pouring over God's Word. He was armed and ready. Power to contend with the devil didn't come from his human strength or logic, but from the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. I wonder if we hunger for the true bread of the Spirit? We nourish our bodies with food. We keep our cars fueled up. We recharge our smart phones and laptops. But are we humble enough to admit that we can't win our spiritual battles without God's Word? Jesus showed us how. We don't live by the "bread" of this world alone, but by every Word from the mouth of God. That's how we stay armed and dangerous to the devil.

by Marilynn Chadwick Fasting can be a powerful weapon in our prayer arsenal. Though I still have much to learn, I have noticed how fasting adds strength and precision to my prayers. The combination of fasting and prayer is like a one-two punch that has resulted in several spiritual breakthroughs in long-standing problems. But the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard about fasting came in a most unlikely place. The lesson is one I have never forgotten. Some time ago, David and I were invited to teach a group of men and women church leaders in Burundi on the subject of prayer. Burundi is a tiny nation in central Africa, often referred to as Rwanda's twin. Its people suffered a lengthy civil war lasting over a decade. It was sparked by revenge killings and then a frenzy of killings resembling the horrific genocide in Rwanda. Burundi's civil war was hidden from the eyes of the world—and lasted much longer. With a GDP per capita of $237, Burundi remains maybe the poorest country in Africa and, by some accounts, in the entire world. Amazingly, the believers in Burundi had remained faithful through it all. They were resilient. Even joyful. But Burundi was not the place I expected to learn my most memorable lessons on the power of fasting. David and I spent the afternoon sharing biblical insights on prayer and allowed time at the end for questions. One man raised his hand and stood up and asked, "Why did you not talk about fasting?" I looked around at their faces. I knew food was scarce—how could we talk about fasting when we weren't sure they had enough to eat? But I underestimated the spiritual fervor of those men and women, all survivors of the genocide. They shared story after story of how God had intervened in miraculous ways—dramatic stories of provision and deliverance from evil attacks during the war, often through prayer and fasting. I left that encounter humbled and realized what a powerful tool fasting can be for believers in broken places—or for any believer when we face our own broken places. And I felt convicted that it's time to stop losing wars we should be winning. For our homes, families, and communities. We can learn a lesson from believers in Burundi. Maybe we, too, can discover the power of prayer and fasting for breakthrough in our most broken places.

Continued from yesterday… God is never actually mentioned by name in the book of Esther. But throughout the story, we see Esther quietly responding to what I believe must surely have been God's whispers. I don't think the Lord would have entrusted the very survival of the entire nation of Israel into the hands of a teenager unless he knew she would listen and obey. Training our heart to hear God's voice is one of our most important jobs as believers. We do this primarily through reading God's Word and spending time in prayer. But for some reason, fasting helps us depend on God and sharpens our hearing. As we saw yesterday, Esther was devastated by the news of the king's edict to destroy the Jews. But she was even more terrified by the request made by Mordecai. He asked her to appear before the king and beg for mercy. The risk for Esther was huge. Everyone throughout the palace courts knew the rule: If someone went to the king without being summoned, it was an automatic death penalty—that is, unless the king extended his golden scepter. It had been 30 days since Esther had last been summoned to appear before the king. Mordecai challenged Esther with these now famous words: "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Esther found strength from the Lord. She told Mordecai to have all the Jews gather for three days of fasting. She and her maids would do the same. When this was done, she assured him, "I will go to the king, even though it is against the law" (v.16). Then she uttered words that are among the most stirring declarations in the entire Bible: "And if I perish, I perish." At that point, Esther broke the back of the adversary. The fasting and prayer with God's people set the stage for a miraculous and strategic series of events that brought about the salvation of the entire nation. Through her courageous faith, wisdom, and ingenuity, she exposed Haman's wicked plot. The enraged king sent Haman to the very gallows he had built to hang Mordecai. The story of Esther is thrilling and full of suspense. Good triumphs over evil. And in the end, Esther influenced her husband, a pagan King, to deliver the Jews. The king promoted Mordecai to second in command in all the Persian empire. Esther ruled as queen. An ordinary teenager who dared to step out and obey God. She risked her life, and in turn, saved a nation. Fasting and prayer were part of the arsenal she used to make herself strong. Esther must have learned to hear and obey God during her years under the watchful eye of Mordecai. Perhaps that is where she also grew to appreciate the power of fasting and prayer. Somehow, she managed to remain surrendered to God, even while serving as queen. Her dramatic three-day fast put her in a place of utter dependency. In the end, it brought great power to her petition for the deliverance of her people. __________________ For more inspiration on fasting from the story of Esther, check out Woman of Valor, Discovering the Courage & Strength God Gave You by Marilynn Chadwick. Simply click here to order your copy.

God's people owe their very existence to a young Hebrew girl named Esther. It's true. God chose to work out his plan of deliverance for Israel through the courageous actions of an ordinary teenager. Sometimes I think we underestimate the power of a young person who loves God. Esther's story didn't start out pretty. The Jews had been taken from Jerusalem into captivity years earlier by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Esther 2:5-7). Babylon was then defeated by Persia. When we first meet Esther, she's among the Jews living in the Persian empire. They were a displaced people longing for home. Esther was raised by an older cousin named Mordecai. Described as "lovely in form and features," her name had been changed from her original Hebrew name, Hadassah, to the Persian name Esther, or "star." Scholars believe it was connected to the Babylonia goddess Ishtar. Even today, when a people group is captured, the conquering nation often strips away every form of national identity. We saw this firsthand during a missions trip to South Sudan prior to its independence in 2011. Throughout 20 years of civil war, the Arab extremist Islamic government in the north had attempted the genocidal extinction of Christians in southern Sudan. Roughly two million people died and millions more were displaced. One of the North's many dehumanizing practices was to strip South Sudanese children of their Christian identity by giving them new Arabic names. They were forced to attend schools in which they learned to speak and read only in Arabic. Like the Jews of Esther's time, this was part of a targeted attempt to erase both their heritage and religion. Esther was around fourteen when her story began. Life as a Jew in exile was all she'd ever known. That is, until she became the Queen of Persia. This startling turn of events happened after King Xerxes of Persia banished his previous queen, Vashti, for embarrassing him in public. The king's advisors came up with a plan to bring beautiful young women from every province in the Persian Empire to the king's palace. During her year of preparation, Esther won the favor and respect of all who knew her. The king was so impressed with Esther's beauty and grace that he selected her to be his new queen. What the king did not know was that Esther was a Jew. Esther kept her Jewish identity a secret. We see her character and humility through her obedience and loyalty to Mordecai. In time, a sinister adversary rose up. Haman, the king's highest-ranking official, despised both Mordecai and the Jewish people. He manipulated the king into signing an edict to slaughter every Jew in the Persian empire, which, at the time, stretched from India to Ethiopia. This move would wipe virtually every Jew from the face of the earth. When Mordecai learned of Haman's genocidal plot, he pleaded with Esther to beg for mercy from the king. By this time, Esther had been queen for several years and was around twenty years old. Life as queen was no doubt more comfortable than life as an exile. But she had never lost touch with Mordecai or her people. To be continued tomorrow… ______________ For more inspiration on fasting from the story of Esther, check out Woman of Valor, Discovering the Courage & Strength God Gave You by Marilynn Chadwick. Simply click here to order your copy.

by Marilynn Chadwick The story is told about a group of Texas fifth grade school children who figured out a way to stop bullying in their classroom. Whenever a fellow student was being bullied, the other classmates would gather around the victim and simply stand without saying a word. This show of solidarity stopped the bullies dead in their tracks every time. The students nicknamed their tactic "The Swarm." I think we can learn a lesson about prayer and fasting from those school children. Let's be like "The Swarm" as we gather with brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. I believe our swarm of prayers and fasting can have a powerful impact, especially in the spiritual realm. If you want to stand strong, don't fast alone. I encourage you to get a family member or friend to fast with you. Share your prayer and fasting experience with your small group. What if we agreed to fast and pray together as a "swarm" for persecuted believers? Or what if we prayed specifically for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages? Every day of prayer and fasting can have purpose. During my first experiments with fasting several years ago, a friend and I would pray and fast on the same day. We would often trade prayer requests and sometimes we'd go for a walk to pray for our needs. It was good to have someone else in the boat. Plus, I discovered it helped to confess my own sin God had revealed to me and get that into the light. Remember, confession is a valuable part of fasting. Jesus was clear about the power of "a swarm" of believers in prayer. He promised that when we are gathered in his name, even just two or three of us, he is there with us. "Truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven" (Matthew 18:19-20). The Greek word for agree is symphone (from which we get symphony), meaning "together with the same voice." This word can also be translated as "music." I wonder if our fasting and prayers in one accord sound like music to God. I can imagine the unified voices of many believers around the country and even all over the world who are crying out to God in fervent prayer on behalf of Israel and especially the Israeli hostages. What could happen if we agreed to stand strong in solidarity with them through our continual swarm of prayer and fasting. Together.

by Marilynn Chadwick Yesterday, I talked about the importance of approaching a fast with humility. When we are feeling weak, it's easier to lean into God's power. By giving up food, or social media or whatever, we have little reminders throughout the day to pray. Think I'll fix myself a snack…oops…guess not. That's my trigger to pray for pressing needs. It's never easy to say "No" to hunger pains, or shopping, or social media. But fasting requires an extra measure of the Holy Spirit's strength. Especially if we're fasting for something of tremendous importance: the salvation of a loved one, deliverance from evil, healing from a dreaded disease, release from prison. You're also fasting and praying for strongholds in your own life to be defeated. Our battle is a spiritual one.The Bible says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood and things we can see, but against the "rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12 NIV). "Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13). Take a closer look at the spiritual armor listed in Ephesians 6:10-17. You'll realize the armor that we are "putting on" is Jesus. Friends, only Jesus can defeat the enemy of our soul. The Bible says we are to resist the devil and trust the Lord to gain the victory. That means that our fight is to stand firm in the faith that Jesus accomplished our victory on the cross. We are to stand our ground. Prayer and fasting drive that truth deep. A spiritual warfare tactic and my personal favorite verse to meditate on when praying and fasting is this short, power-packed promise from the book of James: "Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Be encouraged as you go about your fast. Be alert and watch for God at work, in even tiny ways. Like I've said, I don't know why fasting works. It just does. And remember, the devil is a defeated foe. So, while you are fasting, be sure to feast on God's promises and stand your ground!

by Marilynn Chadwick "Give me some tips on how you fast," a friend asked as she prepared herself for her first fast. Her question got me thinking. What have I learned that's made fasting a valuable part of my prayer life? I shared some of those tips with you yesterday. But I should point out that fasting does not make us super saints. In fact, Jesus cautions all disciples in his Matthew 6 tutorial on prayer against being prideful when we fast. Or when we pray. Or when we give, or serve, or do anything in his name. When you fast, Jesus warns, don't parade around your spirituality for others to see. Dress nicely, wear your makeup, go about business as usual. Then your father in heaven, "who sees what is done in secret" will reward you (see Matthew 6:16-18). Some very religious people were proud of their fasting. Jesus responded with this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evil doers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 9-14 NIV). Instead of making us proud, fasting should gently squeeze us into a posture of humility. We may find a heightened awareness of our own sin bubbling to the surface when we fast. This humbles us. So, confession and repentance naturally become part of our fast. In this way, fasting is like spring cleaning for our soul. Ponder the words about fasting from Jesus. Use this season of fasting and prayer to humble yourself. It's a good time for personal reflection and confession. And remember, God is pleased just because you are setting your mind to seek him (Daniel 10). Never forget how much God loves you. You're not fasting to earn his favor. Rather, go boldly to that throne of grace and ask the Lord's help in areas you may feel stuck. The Bible teaches that fasting and prayer can help us break through stubborn problems. Fasting helps us cast those troubles into God's strong hands. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10). Repent and receive his forgiveness and power. And remember, throughout church history, periods of repentance often lead to greater revelation, and ultimately to revival.

by Marilynn Chadwick Generally, fasting is from food, but it doesn't always require total abstinence. The Bible includes the story of Daniel. While seeking understanding for a vision, Daniel fasted for three weeks (Daniel 10). During that time, Scripture tells us, he "ate no choice food, meat, or wine, and didn't use lotions" (Daniel 10:1,2). Some today call this kind of partial fast, a "Daniel Fast." Fasting doesn't necessarily have to be from food. We read in Isaiah 58 about a powerful type of fast in which we pour our lives out to the spiritually and physically hungry of the world (Isaiah 58:10). "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter...?" (Isaiah 58: 6,7 NIV). It is possible to fast from things other than food, as long as it costs you something in terms of time, energy, comfort, or convenience. A creative friend once did a 21 day fast from social media. She called it her "antisocial prayer experiment." That kind of fast might be harder than giving up food! According to the Bible, fasting is part of a normal prayer life. When Jesus was giving his disciples some tips on prayer, he said. "When you fast…" not "If you fast…" (Matthew 6). The Bible is clear. Fasting sharpens prayer. Before a dear friend tried her first full day fast, she asked for some practical tips. I'm not an expert, but here are a few thoughts off the top: Staying hydrated is the secret to effective fasting. It helps to sip on water throughout using this lemon water recipe shared by a naturopathic physician: Squeeze the juice of 3-4 lemons into a half gallon pitcher of pure water and add 3 Tablespoons of pure maple syrup. You won't taste the maple syrup, but it can help regulate blood sugar. I also have a cup or two of green tea first thing in the morning to avoid getting one of those nasty little caffeine withdrawal headaches. When the urge for food hits, that's my prompting to pray. I take extra time to read and meditate on the Bible. Fasting heightens my spiritual sensitivity and seems to sharpen my prayers in ways I don't understand. List any problem areas in the lives of those you love up close. Where do they feel stuck? Fasting can help you contend for their breakthrough. Fast and pray when suffering or injustice overwhelm you. The Israeli hostages grabbed my heart early on. Fasting and prayer has helped me share in their suffering in some small way and unites my prayers with others around the globe. Fasting helps us seek God in humility. We take our hands off the problem and put it squarely in God's hands. We remain dependent upon God knowing he is bigger than our problems. Mysteriously, fasting can even help us grow our faith. And the Bible is clear. Our faith always pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).

by Marilynn Chadwick Do you feel stuck today? Maybe you need a breakthrough in prayer. Or relief from a stubborn problem. A breakthrough usually occurs after a long struggle against some kind of obstacle or enemy. A spiritual breakthrough can be described as that sudden leap forward in an area where we've been fervently seeking God. In short, a breakthrough is getting "unstuck." One way I've experienced personal breakthroughs in prayer is through fasting. I'm not sure why fasting adds power to my prayers. It just does. Jesus spoke of fasting as a normal part of one's prayer life. "When you fast," he said. Not "if you fast" (Matthew 6:16-18). I don't know about you, but I've had a few too many spiritual battles lately. Seems like everyone I know these days is walking through intense trials. Some are fighting hard through painful circumstances, family conflict, financial struggles, or even long-standing illnesses. Many feel "stuck." I've decided it's time to get a fresh grip on my faith, look to God for strength, and refresh my commitment to fasting. It's a powerful way to stand in the gap for those I love. And when combined with prayer and God's Word, fasting is a great way to get unstuck. Let's face it. As long as we live on planet Earth, we're in enemy territory. That means we must always be watchful. Vigilant. Yes, Christ's work on the Cross set us free from sin and death. But we must guard that freedom daily. I'm reminded of the old Revolutionary War saying, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." God's Creation is good, but since the Fall, our world is crawling with enemies. There's no denying it. And we live in an earthly body with demanding appetites and desires. Even if we manage to avoid the more obvious traps and addictions, our flesh still wants its own way. My friend's three-year-old daughter once said it best, "But Mommy, all I want is what I want when I want it." Our flesh seldom craves the things God asks of us. In fact, it usually craves the opposite. Bottom line? If I don't control my body, it will control me. I'd rather sleep late than begin my day with a study of God's Word and prayer. Yet I know from experience that my days just plain go better when I launch them with this "power hour." In much the same way, I'd rather eat than fast, which also requires that I subdue my flesh. Maybe that's what the apostle Paul meant when he spoke of "disciplining my body, making it serve me" (1 Cor. 9:27 ISV). That's where fasting comes in. From a purely physical standpoint, fasting cleanses the body and gives it rest. Spiritually, fasting goes beyond what we can see and somehow sharpens our "spiritual ears" and adds power to our prayers. Jesus himself fasted. Over the next few days, we'll explore what the Bible has to say about fasting and how it can help us experience breakthroughs in prayer.

by David Chadwick David's mighty men. They were a group of 30 or so men found 2 Samuel 23 (some scholars think there could have been as many as 37). We have already learned about his inner circle, Eleazer, Shammah and Jashobeam. But there were more mighty men who served David, somewhere around 30 or so. These mighty men fiercely loved and cared for their king. These were King David's most fierce and loyal soldiers. They were true "men of valor." The most respected of all of David's soldiers, these 30 or so men were most likely chosen by David for their bravery, courage, skill, and loyalty to him. Amidst the larger army of King David, which undoubtedly numbered in the thousands, these 30 or so were like Seal Team 6. Special forces. Green Berets. The best of the best. The strongest and bravest of them all. I love how David's ministry was a glimpse of what Jesus's ministry would look like. Jesus fulfilled his mission as the greatest King. Much like David, he had his inner circle of 3, his 12 disciples, and 70 whom he sent out, and the masses. Different layers of his relationships had different purposes. In war, sometimes a large army is needed to succeed. However, there are other times when a smaller, powerful group of warriors can do more damage. A team of smaller numbers is sometimes needed to infiltrate a place and destroy an enemy with quick precision. That was the case with David's mighty men. David had 3. And 30 or so. And thousands. All were necessary for David to be strong and victorious. Take note of David's keen organizational mind. He strategically knew how to assimilate his army at several levels for whatever means necessary. He knew what it took to win the different kinds of battles he had to face. You've heard me say it before and I will say it again. The world needs more mighty men of valor! Men, it's time to rise up and take your place in history to support the greatest King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His name is Jesus! Our Commander and Chief, the Lord of all the angel armies as well.

by David Chadwick Benaiah is our next man of valor. Found in 2 Samuel 23:20 and 1 Chronicles 27:5, he was the son of Jehoiada, a leader in David's army, and one of David's most trusted advisors. Much like many of our previously studied characters, he, too, is specifically called a "man of valor." Every great leader needs trusted advisors around him or her. People who can see things that the leader can't see. Those who know things the leader doesn't know. People who have different strengths and insights into what is going on and can give sage counsel to the leader to help him or her make wise decisions. Benaiah was known for his bravery, strength, and loyalty. With only a club in his hand, he defeated an Egyptian giant with a spear who was on a mission to destroy Israel. Some think Benaiah was the most feared warrior in David's army. He was able to dismantle the giant's attack, take the spear away from the giant, and kill him with it. Go read his story and take note of his courage and skill! Against seemingly insurmountable odds, he reigned victorious! We all can accomplish anything with God's supernatural strength. Leaders like King David need greatly gifted people around them who don't want to usurp him and be king! They need people who will join them in the fight and be loyal no matter what. Interestingly, Benaiah was very helpful in passing on David's reign to King Solomon. He remained loyal to David and Solomon. From all accounts provided, it seems that he simply loved the nation of Israel and wanted to see it prosper. He knew the best way that could happen was by serving and supporting a healthy and wise king. He executed several of Solomon's enemies upon Solomon's orders, including Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei. He also served as the head of Solomon's army. Fierce loyalty would describe him. As you've heard me say before, all leaders need a friend like this! And the world needs more men of valor like him as well.

by David Chadiwck Did you know that in Ezekiel 48:35, God encourages Ezekiel, as Jerusalem is in ruins and God's people await the rebuilding of the temple, that the name of the city would be Jehovah Shammah? It means "the Lord is there." Shammah. It is a powerful name! A name that is mentioned several times in the Bible. In the face of desolation, this name should remind each of us of God's ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). But it also reminds us of friends who are always there for us, as Shammah was for David. In Shammah's story, he is also called "a man of valor." Isn't it incredible how many times this phrase shows up in Scripture? Shammah, along with Jashobeam and Eleazar, was another one of David's three mighty men. As the Philistines attacked the Israelites, the Jews were overwhelmed by the battle and retreated. Has that ever happened to you? Sometimes, the fight can feel so intense and overwhelming. Victory seems elusive. The enemy tempts us to retreat and back down! But Shammah was not one of those people. He did not take Satan's bait. Instead, Shammah courageously resisted the temptation to back down in the face of his enemies. He stood alone against the troop of Philistines and defeated them himself in a field full of lentils! He single-handedly defeated his opponents. Many scholars feel that Shammah was motivated to fight with such ferocity because the lentil field was a reminder of what sustained his wife and family. Some think Shammah owned a home on a lentil field. As he stood in the midst of the very sustenance he needed to care daily for those he loved most, many believe he felt a supernatural motivation to fight for his king and for his family. Men of valor fight for their families. They are protectors. They create safety and security for those around them. They live with the future in mind and seek to establish hope in the midst of hopelessness. May all men be like Shammah! This world certainly needs more men of valor. For you men reading this today, step up and become one of them!

by David Chadwick Eleazar, the son of Dodo, is our next man of valor. As a side note, Dodo is not a name I would recommend naming your next child! 2 Samuel 23 gives the account of his story. Also called "a man of valor," Eleazar was another one of the three mighty men in King David's inner circle. He, too, was a Benjamite, from the tribe of King Saul. Like Jashobeam, I wonder if he had to decide where his loyalties would lie, either with David or Saul and take a stand. Eleazar was most known for fighting against the Philistines, along with Jashobeam and Shammah, the other two of David's three mighty men. While fighting for so long with such intensity against the Philistines, he "stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword" (2 Samuel 23:10). This brought about their victory! I love the fact that Paul refers to the Word of God as a sword (Ephesians 6:17). In Eleazar's story, even in the midst of his fatigue, it was almost as if his hand became a part of the sword to win the battle. Because of that, Eleazar went on to be the key for that victory! I pray that all of us, and with the work of our hands, will become one with the sword, the Word of God, obeying its every command, so that we too may reign victorious in the battles of our lives. Eleazer was also among the three who broke through the Philistine lines in Bethlehem to get a drink of Bethlehem's clear, clean water for King David when David was camped in the caves of Abdullam. David was so moved by their efforts that he, in humility, poured out the water as a drink offering to God. He said, "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" He refused to enjoy the water while his friends risked their lives for him. David was showing true servant leadership, not desiring to use his men for his glory but to serve them for God's glory. A loyal, good, and competent friend is more valuable than gold! Eleazar was that kind of friend to David. The world needs more men of valor like Eleazar who fight for one another, protect one another, and seek to honor one another and the Lord! My prayer for you men, today is this: may the God of all hope inspire you to develop hearts of loyalty. May your valor be displayed through your willingness to stand up for those around you. May you always be a man who chooses to stand with conviction for God's truth over popular opinion. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, amen!

by David Chadwick Jashobeam. Also known in 2 Samuel 23 as Josheb-Basshebeth, his name means "the people return" or "dweller among the people." He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 27. He is today's man of valor. Jashobeam was one of King David's three mighty men. A close friend and bodyguard to the king, he truly was one of the friends David could trust and return to again and again during times of joy and sorrow. He was also in charge of the first division of 24,000 men. As Jesus had an inner circle of three (Peter, James, and John), so did King David. Could it be that this is a model for us all when it comes to friendship and relationships? To look at three very close friends whom we can trust explicitly with our hearts? I certainly think there's a lot of wisdom in considering who these people are in your life and recognizing the faithful few who you can go to and trust for wise advice, encouragement, counsel, and wisdom. I would also go on to argue that if you're married, your spouse should be one of these three! Men, nothing can replace the closeness and intimacy you will find with a godly wife who you are able to turn to in good times and in bad times. Let's get back to Jashobeam. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, which was the smallest tribe of all the 12 tribes. But did you know this is the tribe from which King Saul came? Most assuredly, he made his loyalty known when he chose David to be the next king over the man who came from his same tribe. Jashobeam's father was a descendant of Korah, one of the chief architects of the rebellion against Moses in Numbers 16. Jashobeam's father and patriarchy in his family heritage must have clearly decided to reverse the curse and not follow in the rebellious ways of his father and produced a proud son who was extremely loyal to his leader, the king. David likely loved his loyalty to him as king and depended upon him greatly in his inner circle for wisdom, advice, and counsel. He is described in the Bible as a "man of valor." The world needs more men of valor like him!