Key Verse:  “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15 CSB)

Every day, from the moment we wake up, we are faced with a series of decisions that need to be made. Will we hit the snooze button or get out of bed when the alarm first goes off? What will we wear? What, if anything, will we eat for breakfast? And on it goes from there.

Some of the decisions we have to make aren’t that big a deal. But others carry much more significance, as they affect our relationships, our physical and emotional health, our financial stability, and ultimately our future.

Joshua’s farewell speech to the people of Israel culminated with him calling the people to make a choice. He essentially drew a line in the sand for them. Each one of them, young and old, had a decision to make. Would they “fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth”? Or would they choose to worship the gods that their ancestors “worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites” (v.15) in whose land they were now living? It was the ultimate choice for them to make, the one that mattered most. It was about worship. Who or what would they choose to worship?

For Joshua, his mind was already made up. “As for me and my family,” he said, “we will worship the Lord” (v.15). The people of Israel appeared to share the same conviction. They responded to Joshua by saying, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods!” (v.16).

It seems like a fairly straightforward decision, doesn’t it? The right answer of course is to choose to worship the Lord rather than anyone or anything else.  But if you know the rest of the story, you’ll remember that despite their good intentions, this wasn’t necessarily how it played out moving forward for the people. Even though at this moment their choice to worship was directed at God, there would be many times down the road when they chose otherwise.

This is how it goes when it comes to our worship. It’s not simply a one-time decision. While it’s a choice that needs to be made initially at the moment, it is also one that needs to continue to be made moving forward in every circumstance.

In many ways, our choice when it comes to worship is what sets the direction for our life in Christ. Every day, in every situation we find ourselves in, we have a decision to make. Will I choose the ways of this world, or will I choose God’s ways? Will I choose to pursue my selfish desires, or will I seek to live according to God’s will? Will I allow Jesus to take His rightful place in my life, or will give that up to someone or something else? Will I worship the Lord?

Consider the object of your worship today. Which will you choose? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord!

Prayer: Father God, I choose today to worship you. In whatever I will face today, help me by the power of your Spirit to turn away from everything else to you alone. Teach me what it means to fear the Lord and worship you in sincerity and truth. Amen.

Key Verse:  “I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.” (Joshua 24:13 CSB)

As part of Joshua’s farewell speech to the people of Israel, he reminded them of the journey that God had led them on – where they had been compared to where they were now. Their forefathers had cried out to the Lord while in slavery in Egypt, and God delivered them through His mighty works. He then led them on a journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, a place which they had now taken possession of and were enjoying its fruits. 

The word from the Lord delivered to the people by Joshua was this: “I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant” (v.13). Interestingly, this is almost the same as what Moses told the people years earlier as they looked forward to the time when they would enjoy the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 6:10-12).

What was God saying to the people? He was reminding them that the place where they now found themselves – the land, the cities, the vineyards, and olives groves – was not a result of their own doing. They hadn’t successfully defeated the occupying armies in their strength. They weren’t enjoying the bounty of this new land because of what they had done. God had done it all. So the people then were not to take for granted all of the blessings they were now enjoying or deceive themselves into thinking that they were entitled to them. It was all a gift from God.

It’s a good word, isn’t it? The reality is that we are all far too easily prone to fall into the sinful trap of entitlement in our hearts. What does it look like? It’s someone who is constantly negative and complaining, who is unable to recognize the good around them. It’s a person who thinks that they deserve more than what they already have. It’s someone who is full of pride and is constantly competing with others. It’s those who are self-consumed, more concerned about what they can get instead of what they can give. 

Does that sound like anyone you know? More importantly, are you guilty of having an entitled heart? 

A spirit of entitlement can be very dangerous for anyone seeking to follow Jesus and seek first His kingdom. The remedy to entitlement is found in remembering and meditating on all of God’s grace toward us. The Apostle Paul asked, “What do you have that you didn’t receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). Hint: nothing! All that we have is a result of the gracious hand of God in our lives, for “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). When we recognize this, we can start to move from a heart of entitlement and complaining to one of humble gratitude.   

Stop and consider all of the blessings in your life today. What are the evidences of God’s grace toward you right now? Invite the Holy Spirit to open your eyes in a greater way to how God has blessed you spiritually, relationally, and physically. As He reveals this to you, choose to respond with humble gratitude for His amazing grace.

Father God, there is nothing in my life that I have that I did not receive. It is all part of your gracious goodness toward me. Thank you for all that you have done. Open my eyes in greater ways to all of your amazing grace toward me in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Key Verse: “In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord selects is to come forward clan by clan. The clan the Lord selects is to come forward family by family. The family the Lord selects is to come forward man by man. The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated the Lord’s covenant and committed an outrage in Israel.” (Joshua 7:14-15 CSB)

Sin is never to be taken lightly. This was one of the lessons that the people of Israel learned as they continued their conquest of the land of Canaan. Having already conquered the city of Jericho, they turned next to Ai. Unlike Jericho however, when they sent part of their army to take the city, they were struck down and chased away. 

What happened? Why were they defeated? The text tells us that the people of Israel were “unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction” (v.1). Earlier God had made it very clear that certain items were not to be kept by the people when they conquered a city. All of the articles of silver, gold, bronze, and iron were to be dedicated to the Lord and put into the Lord’s treasury (6:19). To not do so would lead to grave consequences. “But keep yourselves from the things set apart,” God said to them, “or you will be set apart for destruction” (6:18).

Sadly, some of the people did not take this seriously. In this case, the perpetrator was a man named Achan. “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter, I coveted them and took them,” (v.20) Achan said. Rather than obeying God, Achan kept the treasured things for himself.

Was it that big a deal? Apparently so. As a result of his sin, Achan was taken to the Valley of Achor, along with his family and all of his possessions. “So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger” (v.26).

What do we do with a story like this? In some cases, people simply dismiss it as fiction. Others try to justify it as an Old Testament approach to justice by God that is no longer relevant today. It makes many uncomfortable because it doesn’t seem to align with the God of love and grace that we are drawn to. But the truth is that God has not changed (Hebrews 13:8). He remains holy. Disobedience still angers Him.  Sin still demands justice.

Instead, reading an account like this ought to stir up gratitude and joy as followers of Jesus, because it points us to His work on the Cross on our behalf. “But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). The hope we have as those who have put our faith in Jesus is that God’s righteous judgment against sin has already been delivered as Jesus Christ took our place on the Cross. This is His amazing grace toward us!

To follow Jesus still means to take sin as seriously as He does. It cost Him everything for us. We must pursue a life of uncompromised holiness in every way. But when we fail and fall, we can find comfort and hope in the grace that has been extended to us because of all that Jesus Christ has done for us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: God, you are perfectly holy and just. Thank you, Jesus, for bearing my sin upon the Cross. You are my hope and my peace. Empower me today by your Spirit to turn from my sin and to pursue a life of holiness. Amen.

Key Verse: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, . . . (John 14:15-17 ESV)

I recently watched a video of a wind turbine’s blades being installed. These huge blades are turned by the energy of the wind, and that energy is converted to electrical energy. Two things are required: the parts of the wind turbine to function together according to electromechanical laws, and the power of the wind to turn the blades.

Something similar is true of people. We are designed to function according to laws, and we need the power to do so. This is true in the physical realm, but it is also true in the spiritual realm. Our Lord says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” That is the laws part of the equation. Then he says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.” That is the power part.

We can observe that Jesus gave many commands: Lay up treasure in heaven rather than on earth (Mat. 6:19–21); Seek first the Kingdom of God (Mat. 6:33); Do not be judgmental (Mat. 7:1–3); Treat others the way you would like to be treated (Mat. 7:12); Watch for the Lord’s return (Mat. 24:42-44); and a number of others. However, two general commandments are singled out from the rest by Jesus’ own words: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Mat. 22:37-40)

These two are the overarching commandments, the ones that contain all the others. These two sum up the Old Testament teaching, “all the Law and the Prophets.” These had to be expressed in more explicit terms for the purpose of governing the nation of Israel, but they encompass all the Old Testament moral law. If we love God, we will have no other gods before him, worship idols, or misuse his name. if we love our neighbors, we will not murder them or steal from them or lie to them. 

This is what Jesus means when he says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Our love for him expresses itself in love for God and other people. That is our calling, and he provides the Holy Spirit to help us. If we allow the Spirit, he will empower us to love others just as the wind empowers a wind turbine. Are you by his power pursuing the goal of loving God and others?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the commands to love and for the power provided to obey these commands. Help me to obey, depending on your power. Please let me be open to the power of the Spirit to enable obedience to these laws.

Key Verse: Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.” (Joshua 6:1-2 CSB)

When the people of Israel had entered the Promised Land, one of the first and biggest obstacles standing in their way was the city of Jericho. Jericho was one of the oldest cities in the world. While it wasn’t very big, it was “strongly fortified” or well-protected. The city was likely surrounded by two walls, both about thirty feet high. The outer wall was six feet thick, and the inner wall about twelve feet thick. Add into the mix a group of well-trained soldiers tasked with defending the city, and from a human standpoint, it was impenetrable. 

But God had a plan. He told Joshua to gather all the people and to “have seven priests carry seven ram’s trumpets” in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. They were to march together around the city once a day for six days, while the priests blew the horns.  On the seventh day, there were to march around the city seven times. The priests were to then blow the trumpets and the people were to give a mighty shout, and the walls of Jericho would collapse in front of them.

And that’s exactly what happened. “When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city” (v.20). Everything and everyone in the city was destroyed, with the exception of Rahab and her family.

The author of Hebrews tells us that all of this occurred “by faith” (Hebrews 11:30). How so? How was the response of Joshua and the people one of faith in God? Consider what you would do in this situation. Granted that I’m no military strategist, but if I wanted to take a highly fortified city, I would likely gather as much weaponry as possible, or try to burn it to the ground. 

But this was not God’s plan. Even before they started, God told Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you” (v.2). In God’s mind, it was already a done deal. He simply told them to walk around the city each day, without making noise other than the trumpets from the priest. Do this once a day for six days, and seven times on the seventh. Then shout, and watch as the walls crumbled before their eyes. Why? God had already taken the city.

Faith in this moment meant simple obedience to God. It meant trusting that God knew exactly what He was talking about and would do just as He had said. Faith meant acting on God’s words even if they didn’t necessarily make a lot of sense at the moment.

The same is true for us. The life of faith includes times when God will ask us to trust and obey Him in ways that we may not entirely understand at the moment. He may tell us to believe when we are prone to doubt, to forgive when we want to repay, to be generous when we want to hold back, or to wait when we would rather act. Faith in those moments says, “God, I will trust you and do what you say, even if I don’t see all that you’re doing right now. I will listen to you even if it doesn’t make sense to me, because I believe you love me, you know what’s best, and you are perfectly in control.”

Is God asking you to trust Him with something right now? What does faith look like for you today?

Prayer: God, you are infinitely wiser and more powerful than I can even comprehend. Your ways are not my ways. I want to walk by faith today. So please help me to recognize what you want me to do and give me the courage to obey. Amen.

Key Verse: “A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:31 CSB)

Abraham Lincoln was once quoted as saying, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”  His point? Preparation is as important as the act itself. This is true in pretty much every area of our lives. Whether you’re going to war or simply going grocery shopping, a little time spent preparing goes a long way. 

It is also true in the Christian life, as we seek to follow Jesus. Time spent preparing and making ourselves ready is crucial in ensuring we are successful in the battles we will face every single day.

In Proverbs 21:31, Solomon reminds us of the importance of being prepared. Part of getting ready to go to war was ensuring that the horses were prepared for battle. They needed to be properly armed and made ready to ensure success against the enemy.

So what does it mean for us to be prepared? How do we ensure that we are ready for the day of battle? Most often our preparation in the Christian life is the time we spend alone on our knees before God in prayer and with our Bibles open meditating on and renewing our minds in His truth.

The Apostle Peter reminds us as well that one of the most important areas of preparation is our mind. “Therefore, with your minds ready for action,” he wrote, “be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). Part of getting ready for the battle is ensuring that we are setting our minds on the things of God (Colossians 3:2), and renewing our minds each day with His truth (Romans 12:2).

Knowing that the battles we face each day are ultimately spiritual ones, the Apostle Paul tells us, “For this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything to take your stand” (Ephesians 6:13). Our enemy is real and powerful, so we need to be ready.

As important as our preparation is for the day of battle, Solomon also reminds us of a critical truth: “Victory comes from the Lord.” If our confidence in the battle is found in our level of personal preparation, then ultimately our confidence is misplaced. At the end of the day, no matter how “ready” we think we may be, we don’t have the strength or the power on our own to stand firm and to achieve victory. When we try to do it on our own, we will ultimately fail.

But as we surrender to the mighty hand of God and His immeasurable power and strength at work in our lives through the Holy Spirit, we are assured victory. He is the one who goes before us so that we stand triumphant in Christ Jesus.

David wrote, “Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories from his right hand. Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:6-7).

Mighty victories await us today. So ensure that you are prepared for the day of battle, and remember that victory comes from the Lord. Put your confidence and hope in Him alone!

Prayer: God, I know that today there will be battles that I will face as I seek to follow you. I want to stand firm and be victorious. Help me to prepare myself properly so that I can stand firm. Ultimately, my confidence is in you today. I stand on your truth that victory comes from the Lord! Amen.

Key Verse: “But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.  When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, in the future you will return to the Lord your God and obey him.  He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.” (Deuteronomy 4:29-31 CSB)

In 1758, Robert Robinson wrote the hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. In it, he included the line, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.”  I can fully identify with this statement, and I’m sure you can too. It is the testimony of every human heart on this side of eternity, apart from Christ.

The people of Israel were also prone to wander. Even as Moses laid out the Law for them that he had received from God and called them to obedience, he acknowledged what would eventually happen with the people. They would “act corruptly” (v.25), by turning from God into idolatry. They would do what was evil in the sight of the Lord by worshipping “man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see, hear, eat or smell” (v.28).  In their wandering, they would provoke God to anger.

Our wandering can take various forms. At times, they are blatant and intentional acts of rebellion, like the people of Israel did, turning away from the Lord and running headlong into the pleasures of this world and our flesh. Other times, our wanderings are a bit subtler. They are seen through our attitudes of selfishness, pride, and self-sufficiency. While it may appear to others through what we are saying and doing that we are on track with the Lord, the reality is that our hearts have slowly and subtly gone astray.

What should we do when finding ourselves in a place where we have wandered from God? Very simply, we need to “return to the Lord” and obey Him (v.30). We need to stop and change our direction. Instead of turning from God, we need to choose to turn to Him.  This is true repentance.

The incredible news, because of all that Jesus has done for us, is that when we turn to the Lord, He is not going to leave us, destroy us or forget His covenant promises to us (v.31). He is not going to say to us, “I’m sorry. You have wandered too far or for too long.” This is not who God is.

Instead, when we search for the Lord, we will find Him. When we call upon Him, He will answer, “because the Lord your God is a compassionate God” (v.31). In Christ, He does not treat us as we deserve. Instead, He offers us His merciful compassion, even during our greatest wanderings. This is who God is and will always be.

Where in your life are you wandering from God right now? How in your heart are you subtly or blatantly turning from Him? Today is the day to return to the Lord.

Prayer: Father, I confess how prone I am to wander from you. Search my heart today. Through Jesus, and by your Spirit, help me to return to you. Thank you that you are the Lord who is great in compassion and love. Amen.

Key Verse: “Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” (Deuteronomy 8:2 CSB)

When we are walking through difficult circumstances or painful trials, one of the questions we might find ourselves asking is: why is this happening to me? Why is God allowing this? It’s not an easy question to answer. But thankfully, God provides us through the Scriptures with some helpful perspective.

From the time the people left Egypt until now, they had been wandering in the wilderness. It was not an easy time for them. They faced many trials and hardships.  Yet throughout their entire journey, God continued to lead them. When they were hungry, He daily provided manna from heaven for them to eat and be satisfied. When they were thirsty, He gave them water to quench their thirst.

But even as He led them, they remained in the wilderness, where life was difficult. God did not allow them to immediately enter the Promised Land. Why?  What was the reason why He made them wait for forty years before entering the land? It was, “so that he might humble you and test you to know was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands” (v.2). God led them through a season of hardship to do the necessary work in their hearts.

Moses told the people, “The Lord your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son” (v.5). The humbling and testing of the people was part of the loving hand of discipline from their Father in Heaven.  Like anyone who has experienced discipline will say, “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later, however, it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). 

This is the target that God is aiming for, in them and in us. He is seeking to see the fruit of righteousness and obedience overflow from our hearts as we turn to God and submit to Him. God’s purpose in our seasons of hardship is to align our hearts again to His ways.

The Psalmist wrote, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word” (Psalm 119:67). Just a few verses later, he also said, “It was good for me to afflicted so that I could learn your statutes” (Psalm 119:71). That’s a radically different perspective on hardships. The good that comes through painful trials is that it can produce greater levels of faith and obedience if we allow it.

What is God trying to teach you right now through the circumstances of your life? In what ways is He trying to bring into alignment the crooked things? What does obedience look like for you today?

Prayer: Father God, grant me a humble heart today, regardless of my circumstances. Help me to keep your word and walk in your ways. Thank you for your loving hand of discipline that seeks to reveal my heart and to yield fruit of righteousness in my life. I choose to submit to you today. Amen.

Key Verse: “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.” (Deuteronomy 4:9 CSB)

Amnesia is a condition, typically caused by injury, illness, disease, or even substance abuse, in which a person experiences temporary or permanent memory loss. Depending on its form, the individual may be unable to either recall memories from the past or formulate new ones going forward.

As the people of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses gave them some final instructions. Their primary responsibility was to walk in obedience to the Lord.  They were to “listen to the statutes and ordinances” (v.1), “keep the commands of the Lord” (v.2), and “carefully follow them” (v.6). The way for the people to demonstrate their faithfulness to God and to experience the joy of all that was before them was through diligent obedience.

But with this call to faithfulness also came a warning. “Be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves,” Moses told them. Be very careful.  Watch out, “so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind” (v.9).    

The people of Israel had seen God perform many miracles on their behalf. He delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He parted the Red Sea. He provided for them every single day and rescued them from the hands of their enemies.  As Moses had testified, “For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours? (Deuteronomy 3:24)

One of the keys for the people to remain faithful to the Lord was by guarding themselves against a form of spiritual amnesia. They needed to ensure that they did not forget all that they had already experienced and seen God do. As long as they lived, the work of God needed to remain at the forefront of their minds and the generations to come.  

In the same way, one of the keys to ensuring that our faith in God continues to grow and remain strong is by recalling all that He has done previously. This is why we need to diligently read the Bible and meditate again on the stories of our faith.  It helps us remember.

When we find ourselves in a moment of doubt or a season when the fires of our faith seem to have dwindled, we need to stop and consider again all that God has done. It ensures that the truth of who God is and His mighty works do not slip from our minds and cause us to turn away from Him.

Are you prone to spiritual forgetfulness? Stop today to remember the mighty things that God has done for you and all His people. Meditate again on the mighty work of Jesus for you on the Cross. Remember, God has not changed.  What God has done previously, He is still able to do today. He is faithful to who He is and all that He promises.

Prayer: God, there is no one in heaven or on earth who can do what you are able to do. Remind me again today of your mighty power and faithfulness. Help me to guard my heart today and to keep a close watch on my soul, lest I forget your mighty works and turn away from you. Thank you, Jesus, for all that you have done for me. Amen.

Key Verse: Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.  (John 14:12-14)

Radio personality Paul Harvey used to have a show called The Rest of the Story. Harvey told stories of little-known or unknown events, and he withheld the name of the person involved until the end of the story as a surprise for his listeners. He then ended with the words, “And now you know the rest of the story.”

Our text does something like that. Jesus says, “They will do even greater things than these.” What does he mean? To get the rest of the story we need to read the Acts of the Apostles (see Acts 1:1). As they sat with Jesus before the crucifixion, who among the disciples, could have guessed what these greater works would be? They needed to hear the rest of the story; rather, they needed to live the rest of the story.

In the days when Jesus was with them, they could not guess at the expansion of the church that was to come. They could not see down through the decades and centuries. They could not envision the heroism of the martyrs or the sacrifice of the missionaries. They could not imagine the church spread across the continents or understand its impact on some societies. All this has been a history of “greater works.”

It may have been difficult at any one point to discern that these works had a greatness about them, but their accumulation has pushed the church out to the world and the gospel to the nations. Of course, not everything the church has done has that greatness about it, but for the most part the result has been good in the salvation of people around the world.

To a large degree, the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise has been the result of what else he said in our text: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” His promise of answered prayer has been the driving force in the growth of the church through the centuries.

This is what has formed the channel for the power of heaven to flow to the earth. This is what has empowered the martyrs and missionaries. This is what has driven the great ship of the church across the oceans. This is what has provided the strength to cross mountains and deserts. People have prayed, and people have gone to take the gospel to the world.

These really are greater works. Are you praying for these “greater works”? are you enabling the spread of the gospel around the world? Does God hear your voice calling for the prospering of missions and the salvation of the lost?

Prayer: Lord, help me to join in these greater works. May my prayers add to the channel of grace that allows your power to flow from heaven. Lord, make me faithful in prayer.