How Singing the Word Strengthened My Faith

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am fluent in “Christianese“—that language Christians speak when referring to or describing all things related to their faith. Having married into a family whose members all speak multiple languages, I have learned that the best way to learn a new language is full immersion, leading to understanding by necessity.

One of the most intriguing things perhaps about language is the use of slang. These words or phrases only make sense contextually, and often only in cultures specific to a particular language, very similar to the use of idiomatic expressions.

Having grown up in a primarily Christian environment, I learned scriptural language but was given little understanding of the biblical context for many of the things I said, heard and sang.

In 2009, I was already on staff and a worship leader and prophetic singer by occupation at the International House of Prayer. Or so I thought. I was invited to join the NightWatch for a season—the midnight to 6am watch in the Global Prayer Room. While it was a very real struggle to switch my body clock to working nights, it was even more of a struggle to sing prophetically because I didn’t know what that meant. Another worship leader in the NightWatch invited me to join their well-established team and gave me this encouraging pep talk:

Leader: I want you to ONLY sing the Bible. Sing the Bible to describe the Bible. Not your opinion. Not your diary or poetry. If it isn’t in the Bible, don’t sing it.

Me: But I ALWAYS sing the Bible.

Leader: No you don’t. I’ve heard you.

I assumed that singing biblical concepts, and having biblical language was the same as singing the Bible. In that new season for me, I was overwhelmed to discover so many verses like:

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” Psalm 96:1

“Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!” Psalm 33:3

“Praise you the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song . . . ” Psalm 149:1

It was a church-boy assumption that verses like this were primarily for Old Testament minstrels and singers, and that this concept of singing the new song wasn’t mostly for today. Until I discovered verses like:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs . . .” Colossians 3:16

“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals . . .’” Revelation 5:9

“And they sang a new song before the throne . . .” Revelation 14:3

I came to realize through time, prayer and experience that the “new song” wasn’t a new genre or new melodies, or even new sounds that had not been heard before. But, in fact, the new song was and is the old song. Its foundation is the wisdom that only comes from God (Ephesians 1:17-19)—the knowledge of God.

It’s not that God reveals new things about His character or person, so much as it is that our eyes are opened to see Him for who He is, causing our hearts to sing to Him about Him. This alone is our biblical model for the release of the new song in the earth.

THE ETERNALITY OF SINGING THE WORD

The beauty of having this understanding and perspective is that when we sing the Word, then and then alone, do we pass through the dimension of the temporal into the realm of the eternal. I often say, “The eternal reality for every believer is that we will be gathered around the throne of God, singing to Him of His beauty and worth FOREVER!”

This is modeled so clearly for us in Revelation 4 and 5. There, we see a host of angels and elders around the throne, singing. But personally I am more intrigued by these four living creatures. They are described as having “eyes all around and within.” Why so many eyes? I believe it’s because there is more to see about God than our eyes can contain.

As a songwriter, I have purposed in my heart that I want to be one who writes “eternal songs,” ones that not only outlive my generation but ones that are and will be sung around the throne. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s wrong to sing from our own experiences, but even David as the great psalmist understood that singing about God toGod was an eternal value amid his very real troubles. (Psalm 3:1-2)

Singing the Word will most certainly change our perspective, and gives us the dignity of entering into the reality of eternity now. So my question to you is, What song are YOU singing?

- Jaye Thomas, Director, Forerunner Music Academy, IHOPU Jaye Thomas is a Dove Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and worship leader of more than twenty-three years. Jaye comes from a long lineage of musicians and singers, including his aunt, the late Nina Simone. Originally from North Carolina, Jaye comes to Forerunner Music Academy as a former Brightleaf Music Scholar at Duke University (1996), having studied vocal jazz performance under the late Dr. Steve Zegree. He has been a full-time worship leader at the International House of Prayer for nearly ten years and is an artist on the Forerunner Music record label. He has contributed to more than twenty albums, including two of his own, Higher, and Here is My Worship. Jaye is married to Nayomi and a father to their three children, Mahan, Justice, and Addison.

Imparting a Legacy of Prayer to Our Children

A new level of prayer the Lord was inviting me and my family into began with a praying mantis perched on our suburban Toronto doorstep every morning for three weeks. “Odd,” I thought. Praying mantises (green insects with little “hands” clasped in prayer) may be found in farmers’ fields but do not normally come into the city and particularly do not arrive at the same door for three weeks in a row. After some inquiring of the Lord, I realized He was trying to get a point across—it was time to learn to pray at a whole new level. Making a long-term story short, within a few months my husband and I began to give our mornings to the Lord in intensive prayer; we launched a house of prayer and later helped build numerous other houses of prayer worldwide. Along the way, we realized we couldn’t “do” house of prayer until we and our family, including our six children, had become a house of prayer.

Little eyes are watching and little ears are listening as mothers and fathers either reflect (or not) the will of the Lord. Jesus’ disciples were also watching and listening to Him as He prayed, impelling them to ask, “Teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). As Jesus taught and modeled to His disciples a lifestyle of prayer, so must we as parents teach and model to our main disciples—our children—a life of prayer. One of the most touching statements I’ve heard one of our daughters make was that she was particularly inspired to pray after coming down the stairs in the quiet of early mornings to see her parents in prayer before the Lord. If we are going to teach it, we must actually do it.

Even babies sitting in a high chair can learn prayer as a parent clasps little hands in theirs to pray over the meal. Taking turns having family members pray at the table, at night before bed, or before having a time of family home group is an easy way to initiate kids in praying out loud. When our children were old enough to read and write, we commissioned them to have personal prayer, time in the Word, and journal time (listening to the voice of God) first thing in the morning. Sometimes it worked better for a child to have that time in the privacy of their bedroom right after waking, and others wanted their “God time” after breakfast in a comfortable chair in the living room. Either way, we established the daily habit of personal prayer for our kids at around age five. Years ago, after reminding my youngest daughter to have her God time, she said to me, “Mom, you don’t need to remind me anymore. It’s in me.” What a delight to know the habit of prayer was instilled.

In addition to prayer we have encouraged our children to practice what we call decrees or proclamations in agreement with the Scriptures. Often, they will begin their prayer time with praying a scripture such as, “Now to Him who is able to keep me from stumbling and present me faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,” (Jude 24). They may also decree something specific to a particular need.

When one of our daughters (we have one son and five daughters) lamented that she didn’t have many good friends, we sat her down to pray about it together. Then we encouraged her to begin to daily decree, “God is bringing me good, godly friends.” It was short and simple and also effective. Literally within weeks, one girl moved into our city and started attending our church, another girl who had been more of a distant acquaintance to our daughter expressed interest in befriending her, and a third moved into our neighborhood. Suddenly, our daughter had three new friends!

Our son greatly desired a godly wife and began to pray and decree, “The Lord is sending me my wife who loves God and is saving herself for me.” About a year later our son met and married a lovely woman of God, who did save herself for him, and they have three beautiful children together.

Teaching our children to fast is also important. It can begin with fasting things like ice cream, chocolate, or a movie when younger and progress to a lifestyle of fasting. One of our daughters fasted movies for a year at age sixteen. That was a challenge, but she came out of that year a woman of great passion for Jesus, which has never abated to this day.

The Lord impressed on me years ago that in addition to love, one of the greatest things I can do for my children is pray for them and teach them to pray. This leaves a legacy of walking with and talking to the Spirit, which is essential to abiding in Christ and bearing fruit in all areas of life. Our children, to this day, are actively involved in pursuing a life in Christ, most within the prayer movement.

The IHOPKC Children’s Equipping Center helps parents lead their children into a lifestyle of prayer that bears fruit in young lives. Enroll your child in CEC today!

Click on the image to order your copy of Patricia’s latest release.

- Patricia Bootsma; with her husband, John, gives pastoral leadership to Catch the Fire Toronto Airport Church. She is the director of the Catch the Fire Toronto House of Prayer and represents the province of Ontario to the Canadian Prophetic Counsel. Patricia travels both in North America and internationally, ministering prophetically and helping believers to walk in passion for Jesus and live out the fullness of their destiny. Patricia and John are the parents of six amazing children.

Rise Above it

The year was 1964 a nine-year-old girl from Columbia, South America wrote a letter. She placed it in an envelope but put no stamp and even worse she never put an address, she did, however, write something on the envelope. Miraculously five days later the letter arrived at 28 Hyde Park Gate, London. A secretary opened it and handed it to a ninety-year-old man, who smiled. The envelope read, “To the greatest man in the world.” 

The ninety-year-old man was none other than Winston Churchill! But what most people don’t know is the backend of the story.

Winston’s father was Sir Randolph Churchill, he thoroughly disliked his son, considered him mentally unfit, sent him at an early age to boarding school and never once visited him. Young Winston would write letters begging his father to come, but he never did. At the time it was not known but later discovered that his father had a brain disease that affected his judgment. Upon finishing school, Winston’s father told him to join the army because he was too stupid to do anything else.

In spite of all this Winston Churchill rose above it! He could have filled his heart with bitterness and hate, but instead, he named his son after his father. Just like the story of the man in Luke 6:6-10 who had a withered hand, instead of Jesus allowing him to feel self-pity for his condition he told him to Get up and Stand up! He told him to rise above it.

Download my series on “I Dare You” it will fill you with inspiration and determination to go forward and to Rise Above It!

-Dr. Rob Carman, Is the founder of Victory World Missions, a prolific author, church planter and well-know conference speaker. www.robcarman.com

Why the Church Needs to Stop Silencing Women's Prophetic Voices

Women play a vital role in the Bible, in the home, in the world and in the church. Jesus, we know, had twelve main male disciples (Luke 9:1) plus at least 70 part-time disciples (Luke 10:1). In addition to this group of mostly men, there were also  "Some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who supported Him with their possessions" (Luke 8:1-3). Jesus had many female followers as He preached in various villages who supported His ministry monetarily and otherwise.

When Jesus was arrested, the male disciples forsook Him fearing they too would be crucified. Only John and a few courageous women followed Jesus to the bitter end of His torture and death. "There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and Salome. They also had followed Him and had ministered to Him when He was in Galilee. And many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem were there" (Mark 15:40-41).

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first (Mark 16:9). She became the first female evangelist to proclaim the Easter message. Then He appeared to another group of women who notified the male disciples who were still in hiding (Matt. 28:8-10). After Jesus' ascension, several women were present in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost who were filled with the Holy Spirit along with the male disciples (Acts 1:14). This was the birthday of the New Testament church in which women would play a key role.

One major and needed change the church world has experienced is the rise of women to greater roles of ministry. It is common now for women to hold positions such as worship leaders, Bible teachers, ushers, missionaries, evangelists, children's directors and even associate and lead pastors. This, I believe, is the ongoing fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, "And it will be that, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; then your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions" (Joel 2:28). Peter, in his powerful Pentecost sermon, quoted this prophecy and continued, "Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:18). Notice it wasn't just the men doing the prophesying; it was both men and women. To prophesy doesn't only mean to foretell the future; it also means to forthtell or proclaim the truth of God's Word (i.e. to preach, teach, exhort, witness or testify—1 Cor. 14:3).

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Consider the prominent women in the New Testament who filled major ministry roles:

• Anna: Mary and Joseph encountered this prophetess in the temple, who spoke prophetic words over baby Jesus (Luke 2:36-38).
• Mary, the Mother of Jesus: Mary was among the 120 in the upper room on Pentecost (Acts 1:14). What an impact she must have had as she shared stories about Christ from her unique perspective.

• Mary Magdalene: Catholics celebrate her as a saint; Protestants consider her a heroine of the faith. Church tradition claims she continued to be a bold witness for Christ, leading many idolaters to salvation then retiring to a life of seclusion after years of public preaching.

• Other Women: An unnamed, unnumbered group of women were among the 120 on the Day of Pentecost who were empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 1:8, 14).
• Mary, Barnabas' Sister: Also the mother of John Mark, author of the Gospel of Mark, who hosted prayer meetings in her house (Ac. 12:12, Col. 4:10).
• Lydia: This prosperous businesswoman, a seller of purple cloth, opened her heart, house and purse to support Paul's ministry as a leader in the Philippian church (Acts 16:13-16).
• Priscilla: This dynamic lady assisted Paul's ministry in Corinth and Ephesus and was a spiritual leader with her husband, Aquila, of the church that met in their house. Tentmakers like Paul, they enlightened Apollos, a powerful preacher, in the deeper things of God (Acts 18:1-3, 24-26; Rom. 16:3-4; 1 Cor. 16:19).
• Philip's Four Daughters: Philip preached in several cities then settled in Caesarea (Ac. 8:40) where he continued in ministry with his daughters' assistance. Not much is known about them except they were all unmarried virgins and prophesied (Ac. 21:8-9). The verb tense indicates that they prophesied regularly or habitually, and they had a visible and vocal role in ministry not just behind the scenes.

• Phebe: Paul recognized her as a deaconess using the Greek word diakonos which is translated "minister," "servant" or "deacon" (Rom. 16:1). Paul used the same term to characterize his own ministry and that of Apollos and Timothy (1 Cor. 3:5, 1 Thess. 3:2).

• Junia: Paul commended Andronicus and Junia, probably a husband and wife team, as being outstanding among the apostles (Rom. 16:7).

• Lois and Eunice: Timothy's godly grandmother and mother trained him, a future associate of Paul and Bishop of Ephesus, with a rich spiritual heritage (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14-15).

• Apphia: Probably Philemon's wife, she apparently assisted in the Colossian church that met in their house (Philem. 2).

The point is that God uses women in mighty ways too. Yes, I'm fully aware of what Paul wrote about women being "silent in the church" (1 Cor. 14:33-35, 1 Tim. 2:11-12). But notice he didn't write that to every church as a blanket statement. He wrote it specifically to the churches in Corinth and Ephesus, cities that had extreme feminist cults. Corinth was home to the Temple of Aphrodite which featured over 1,000 priestesses (prostitutes) who engaged in vile pagan worship. Ephesians worshipped the Roman goddess Diana (Acts 19:24-41). Both corrupt cultures tried to dominate men which seeped into the churches causing confusion in worship services. Furthermore, in those days, women were often illiterate and uneducated. So, Paul was addressing specific problems in those churches to minimize chaos and maximize ministry.

Consider this, how could Philip's four daughters prophesy if they had to keep silent? How can our daughters prophesy today if they aren't allowed to speak in the church? We are living in the last days and God is still pouring out His Spirit on ALL flesh. Our sons and daughters can, should and will prophesy if given the freedom. Christ has millions of female followers worldwide, and He is raising up more lady leaders in this hour—anointing and appointing women into every area of ministry.

- Ben Godwin is the author of four books and pastors the Goodsprings Full Gospel Church. To read more articles, visit his website at bengodwin.org and take advantage of his 4-book bundle for $25.

The Law of Vitality

Two men were on a seven-mile walk, they were sad and tired, and because of that, the walk seemed slow. Most of our physical energy or lack of it is rooted in our emotional center. When our thoughts change from sadness to joy, our emotions and energy levels go up. These two men were experiencing a lack of energy and vitality. Then something amazing happened! A third man showed up and began a conversation that affected their lives.

This story is found in Luke 24:13-35 and is called the Road to Emmaus. The third man was Jesus, as He began to reveal Himself to them their eyes were opened, and then it happened, they were so filled with vitality and energy that instead of resting from their trip, within the hour they walked seven miles back to tell others. They couldn’t wait!

How can we tap the law of vitality? A constant flow of energy develops when we hold to thoughts of hopefulness, confidence, positiveness, and goodwill. When our minds become dominated by thoughts of this character, a high level of vitality comes. God intended us to live with strength and energy. The entire universe is charged with it! Since energy is maintained consistently in the natural world, we must form the conclusion that God meant to do the same in each of our lives. Another great secret of having vitality is to learn to move at a proper pace.

God’s pace is unhurried. For us to do this, it’s essential that we remove the reins of our lives daily and allow Him to take control. The Bible says to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths and crown our efforts with success. Take each day at a time without the regret of the past or the worry about tomorrow. Do what you need to do today with all your heart and your life will be filled with a new vitality. Remember, worry never empties tomorrow of its problems only today of its strength.

I would encourage you to download my series called, “Renewable Energy” a guarantee it will make a huge difference in your life.

-Dr. Rob Carman, Is the founder of Victory World Missions, a prolific author, church planter and well-know conference speaker. www.robcarman.com

What Is the Motive of Your Heart?

Love is in the air. Or is it?

You may have heard that the Bible is a love letter from God to all people. And it is. There is a scarlet ribbon woven through the text from Genesis to Revelation.

When the focus of scripture is turned to the subject of love, much can be gleaned. Undoubtedly, the most infamous passage on love is John 3:16 – “God so loved that world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

You can see right away that LOVE means GIVING. God gave the world the gift of His only Son. Yet this generous gesture is largely misunderstood.

Today’s culture leans more toward “getting” than “giving.”

There’s another well-known passage about love from 1 Corinthians 13. It starts out by saying that you can have all knowledge, power, and faith, but without love none of it matters.

The majority would disagree.

Those things are the substance of life, right? Well, not according to the Apostle Paul. The first two characters of love are to be patient and kind. The next two remind us that love cannot include envy or boasting. In other words, love doesn’t covet what other people have, nor does it does allow for arrogance of what you do have.

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…” Romans 12:3

And then the fifth characteristic of love is declared…

Love is not proud.

Pride is taking, not giving. It’s self-righteousness instead of selflessness. Pride is looking in a mirror and seeing perfection where many flaws exist.

Love, by nature, is humble and compassionate. God hates pride. It’s what causes every human heart to be separated from His.

“…apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Pride elevates us over the One who created us (Luke 14:11). And when we operate with a prideful mindset, our human relationships crumble and our spiritual connection to God is broken. The beauty is that a surrendered will crushes a proud heart.

Some people walk in pride because they are blinded by Satan, who deceives them into thinking it’s a “right” mentality. Others do it because it was modeled for them and they simply follow suit. Still, some do it for power and authority.

But even in this, it’s often done out of fear of not being in control.

Pride is a 5-letter word. Biblical numerology explains that 5 is the number of G-R-A-C-E.

Pride and grace cannot dwell together. One always dethrones the other. But, through God’s gift of grace, hearts of pride are converted.

“When pride comes, then comes dis-grace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

Grace + Humility = LOVE

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6

Jesus himself said He came to serve, not to be served. He came to give, not get. Being the perfect example of humility, Jesus shows us that “U”-you always comes before “I”-me. And with pride, “I” is always in the middle.

What is love? Love is liberating. Love is joyful. Love is peaceful. Love unifies.

Pride is poison. It’s deceitful and dark. Pride divides.

Man, by nature, is full of pride and empty of love. Our human instinct is for self-gratification. Think of an infant or toddler…

Enough said.

If God would have His way, we outgrow the independent tendencies and learn to lean on His sufficiency. But if we make no change from our birth kingdom, our pride never dies.

“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” Psalm 10:4

In order to love fully, we must experience the source of love – Jesus Christ. Love itself is not tangible, visible, or audible. But it IS the most powerful, life-changing attribute on the planet!

Consider this: both love and pride are gauged by motive. Where’s your focus: inward or outward? Self or others? Less or more? Wait or push? Silent or Boisterous? Last or first?

To sum it up, when Jesus is at the center of a relationship, LOVE is in control. If self dominates, a “cloud of the proud” settles in, obstructing your perspective.

It’s the presence of the sun that lifts the morning fog. And so it is with pride. The presence of the Son causes the foggy particles to dissolve.

Love is in the air only when God lives in the heart.

- Kelly Russell

She is a Payroll Analyst in the Finance Department at Christian Care Ministry. She serves with her husband, who is one of the pastors at Calvary Chapel Melbourne. Together their ministry focus is on small groups, marriage, and prayer.  

Christian BLACK PANTHER Actress Shared an Important Message About Identity on Live TV

Breakout actress Letitia Wright went from taking a break from acting, to become a Christian, to landing the biggest role she’s ever had. Wright plays the role of Shuri in Marvel’s new movie BLACK PANTHER, who is a technologically brilliant young woman and the younger sister of T’Challa/Black Panther, King of the fictional nation of Wakanda.

In an interview with the UK talk show This Morning, Wright shared that there was a point when acting needed to be put on hold. Without going into detail, she said, “I was going through a lot, a very difficult time in my life, and I just needed to take a break from acting, because I really idolized it.”

Idolizing a job, or a dream is a common societal problem. It can result in immense disappointment and depression when our entire identity is wrapped up in a job, which doesn’t offer real fulfillment, and can come and go.

The Marvel actress then said that after going off of acting, “I went on a journey to discover God, and my relationship with God, and I became a Christian.” She continued, “It just gave me so much love and light within myself. I felt secure, like I didn’t need validation from anyone else, from getting a part [in a movie].”

At 24 years-old, Wright has learned a spiritual truth that many will go their whole lives without realizing. Our worth and value isn’t in what we do, or how we do it. Our worth and value comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ, who resides in us and makes us whole. Once Wright realized she didn’t need a great movie part to be whole, God blessed her career in a fashion that reminds us of Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” On Twitter, Wright frequently shares her Christian faith by tweeting gospel songs and Bible verses.

Wright added that she’s centered in who she is, but she explained that even though she’s a Christian, she’s still not perfect. However, it sounds like she’s on the right track.

A successful year for Letitia Wright has only begun, since she’ll return in the role of Shuri in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and will also star in Steven Spielberg’s movie READY PLAYER ONE releasing in March.

-By Ben Kayser, Managing Editor with MovieGuide.org

A Beautiful Waste

I graduated college convinced: I would change the world for God. As a college student, I volunteered with a high school ministry, sharing the gospel with hardened-to-Christ teens. And I was all in.

The year I left college, I joined the high school ministry as full-time staff. I was on fire for God and ravenous to see what He could do. I judged others who were going to waste their 20’s on anything I deemed to be of lesser value. My 20’s would be focused on impacting lives for eternity.

The annual highlight of our ministry was the week we took a bus full of living-loud adolescents to camp. On the last night, those who had decided to follow Jesus were given the chance to stand up and announce this life shift. After camp, I came home to an even longer list of lives I wanted to influence. When teens are “on fire” for Jesus, their unchurched parents start showing up to church on Sunday, asking questions, and joining Bible studies. The life-stories fueled me. They validated my calling and my passion. They kept me in it.

Lives around me were changing, but my life had grown stagnant. I’d have dinner with a teen who’d just asked Jesus into her heart and find myself mindlessly repeating answers I’d said for years. I’d go home and carve out space to sit with God, except when I got there, time alone with Him felt awkward, like I was talking to a distant acquaintance. I didn’t know quite where to start.

I knew God was benevolently disposed toward me, but I’d always assumed His benevolence was also connected to my producing something for His kingdom. When I felt productive in ministry, it wasn’t hard to imagine that God had loving thoughts toward me or that He looked at me with warm affection. I had a harder time trying to imagine what He might be thinking about me during the hours of the day when I wasn’t doing anything tangible for Him.

I realized I had been driven to see lives change, but I also craved the validation I received when my life made a notable impact on someone else’s. Over time, the deep satisfaction I’d found in my work lessened. So I left the ministry I admired.

I took a break from telling others about Jesus and found a part-time job. For well into a year, I spent my afternoons amid bouquets of imported French lavender, handcrafted soaps, and Italian pottery at a boutique. Sometimes I banked no more than five transactions in a day. It was a life I swore I’d never have—unproductive. A colossal waste of my time, energy, and gifts.

But to the surprise of my heart, that quiet little storefront became a place where I met God. I brought my Bible to work and cracked it open behind the register. I had hours unplanned for one of the first times in my life. I talked through God’s Word with Him, and I did it slowly, absorbing who the person was within those stories. I discovered layers of God’s nature I hadn’t considered when I was barreling through life, when He was only a leader and a coach to me. Slowly, my desire to see and feel who He is within the pages of His Word prompted me to look at the lines on His face. He had a gentle loving expression. Toward me—who was doing nothing for Him.

In a year that appeared to be a waste by all my ministry productivity standards, I grew desperate to lock eyes with God and see His real expression toward me. Every ordinary minute of my day was slowly becoming an opportunity to encounter God’s unwavering gaze, this tenderness I’d not known so intimately before, when I was highly productive.

There are times when God tucks us away from the rest of the world. He might hide us in a difficult job or an unwelcomed circumstance. We feel misunderstood, like no one gets us. He might hide us in a crowd where we feel lost or unseen. Behind the front doors of our homes, changing diapers and burping babies. He does all this so that we might see another side of Him. He is a God who looks deeply and knowingly into us when no one else is looking or noticing. We come alive under his loving gaze.

I discovered that what was unseen, my roots buried beneath the surface, gave life to the trunk and branches I showed the world. I learned how to pour out my life at His feet, forsaking productivity. A beautiful waste of time.

-Sara Hagerty

Sara is a wife to Nate and a mother of six whose arms stretched wide across the expanse between the United States and Africa. After almost a decade of Christian life, she was introduced to pain and perplexity and, ultimately, intimacy with Jesus. God met her and moved her when life stopped working for her. And out of the overflow of this perplexity, came her writing on her blog and in her two books: Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to Be Noticed (August 2017) and Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet (2014).

How Do you See You?

From the clothes you wear to the way you look, the profession you chose, the mate you select, the habits you acquire, the moral conduct you portray, were all influenced by the way you see yourself! What we believe about ourselves often imposes rigid and false limits on what we can accomplish. If you accept an idea from yourself, your teachers, parents, friends, or any other sources good or bad, and if you are convinced that, that idea is real, it has the power over you as the hypnotist’s words have over their subjects.

Most people dislike themselves; they wish they were taller, shorter, heavier, or thinner. They develop little confidence in themselves; plagued by persistent inner conflict, which siphons off energy, they get tired in themselves because they are tired of themselves. Yourself, well put! You’ll never get away from you, so if you don’t like you-you’ll be unhappy all your life because you can’t escape you! So to like you, you have to know you! The only way to know you is to let God introduce you to you. As this happens your opinion of yourself will improve until at last, you will enjoy living with yourself. It is of great practical value to learn to like yourself since you must spend so much time with yourself.

As you see yourself through God’s eyes, allow it to form a mental picture. Think regarding this, hold that image persistently, firmly in your consciousness.

1 Peter said, “We are partakers of His divine nature through His great and precious promises.” Marcus Aurelius said, “The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts.” We can select the life coloration we desire.

We’ve only scratched the surface. If this is something you desire, download my series “How to Increase Your Influence” and see your life change.

-Dr. Rob Carman, Is the founder of Victory World Missions, a prolific author, church planter and well-know conference speaker. www.robcarman.com

In Memoriam: Billy Graham

Dear Friend,

My father, Billy Graham, went into the presence of the Lord on February 21, 2018.

The Bible tells us in Revelation 14:13: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord … that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (NKJV).

Many have said that his death ends an era, but he would be the first to say that when God’s ambassadors die in Christ, the Lord raises up others, because the preaching of the Gospel will go forward until the end of the age. God’s blessing continues as He opens doors for the Gospel around the world. BGEA remains committed to preach the Word in season and out of season across the globe.

My siblings and I would appreciate your prayers in the days ahead as we honor a man who served the Lord with his life, loved his family, and was always grateful for God’s faithful people who supported him in the work of the ministry in Jesus’ Name.

As we lay to rest this very public ambassador, please pray with us that the testimony he leaves behind will touch many lives and point them to salvation in Jesus Christ. My father’s journey of faith on earth has ended. He has been reunited with my mother and has stepped into the eternal joy of Heaven in the presence of his Savior, in whom he placed his hope.

If you would like to know more about my father’s life, share a memory, or read public visitation details, please visit BillyGraham.org.

God bless you, and thank you for your prayers for our family and the staff of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Sincerely,

Franklin Graham