Month: June 2025

“I’ll visit you when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while I’m passing through. And I hope you will send me on my way there, after I have first been reenergized by some time in your company.” Romans 15:24 (Common English Bible)

I once knew a woman whose romance had gone on the rocks. She made a grand announcement to her work colleagues that she was never going to permit herself to fall in love again. “You only get hurt,” she said. I was a young graduate student struggling in the romance department myself so I remained silent. Fortunately, an older and wiser woman who was our supervisor made the observation, “If you deal with each disappointment that way, you don’t live.” I don’t recall how many work associates were present at that moment but each of us became silent as those few words sunk deep into our hearts. The supervisor continued, “Reassess that relationship. Take something useful from it. Make it fruitful for the next.”

The Apostle Paul wanted to go to Spain. He had his heart set on it. Paul’s zeal for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ compelled him to reach the outermost rim of the world. What Paul got was a prison cell in Rome. Like my work colleague, Paul was disappointed. Life’s unexpected turns and twists never permitted Paul to take that journey to Spain. That one historical fact dispels the notion that those who follow Christ are never disappointed, and never experience disruptions in their own life journey. Paul wanted Spain. Paul got a prison cell. How Paul responded is instructive for us. Paul used that time in prison to reassess God’s claim upon him, Paul wrestled something useful from his disappointment. Imprisonment provided quiet time to penetrate deeply into the mysteries of Christ.

Psychologists tell us that suicide, addictions, and some forms of nervous breakdowns are evidence that people are ill-equipped to manage disappointment. Loss and disappointment, regardless of the magnitude, deprive us of our ability to think and act beyond ourselves. Our focus on disappointment becomes so sharp that we are unable to see what remains that is positive in our lives. Consequently, loss and disappointment shrink our life to the exact size of our desire that is unmet. Popular speaker and author, John Maxwell, encourages us along a different path—encourages us to embrace failure and disappointments, extracting from them lessons that result in us “failing forward.” It is then those mistakes, failures, and disappointments become stepping-stones to something so much more.

Few people have the opportunity to live life on the basis of their first choice—whether that be a choice in career, a spouse that “checks all the boxes,” or some other longing. Paul wanted to go to Spain. He got a prison cell. A large majority of us will find that life moves in directions that are not of our choosing. That is precisely when the Christian faith tells us that we should get something out of every experience, every new direction, even out of disappointment. The bulk of the New Testament is letters written by Paul—many of them written while in prison! After twenty-some years as an itinerant preacher, Paul gets a prison cell. At last, Paul found the quiet time to think deeply about what he had learned of Jesus Christ and pour those thoughts out in a written form. That would be Paul’s greatest contribution to the Christian Church.

Joy,

It was said of the disciples long ago that people held them in wonder and awe that they had been with Jesus. To be with one of the disciples was to experience one degree of separation from our Lord. That close proximity to Christ resulted in an experience of spiritual vitality and power. God’s love, wisdom, and strength were no longer limited to one’s imagination as stories of Jesus’ life and ministry were shared. In the company of a disciple—or disciples—God’s presence seemed to come near. The vision of God’s glory grew more expansive in the heart as a result of being in the presence of one of the disciples. Perhaps that same fascination is what drives each of us to be photographed with those we admire. There is an unmistakable attraction and thrill to standing in the presence of those who have acquired a larger-than-life persona.

In this passage from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus had just finished a hard, grueling day. A similar day would follow. How could he be ready for it? What would be the spring of fresh physical, emotional, and spiritual strength from which he would drink? Mark gives us the answer and with it the key to Jesus’ vitality and stamina, “Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer.” This one verse suggests the great wisdom of prayer: Every morning, draw from the inexhaustible power of God by drawing near to God’s presence. That is done in prayer. Once when a man was asked what he was doing each day sitting alone in a church, gazing upon a picture of Jesus, he answered, “I am simply looking at him and he is looking at me.” Prayer is time with God.

The weakest, humblest life can be made stronger when placed before God. As we pray, the Bible promises that God will be there. There will be days when God seems absent. The Psalms tell us this. Pray anyway. Know that God is present. Day after day the eyes of the soul become more sensitive to God, the heart more aware of God’s still small voice speaking. Eventually, prayer becomes that daily practice by which the individual soul becomes intertwined with the presence and strength of God. The fact of intimate communion with God is the great reality of true, regular prayer. In prayer, we come to see ourselves surrounded by God’s love and concern for us as we begin each new day.

How strange, how foolish it must seem to God that we should be content with so little prayer. This particular occasion, mentioned in this one verse of Scripture from Mark’s Gospel, was no unusual occurrence for Jesus. Jesus prayed often; Jesus prayed for himself and for others. Jesus took time for prayer before each day and before every difficult challenge that drew near to him. Jesus teaches prayer to us by example, for he knew from his own experience that prayer was a vital part of navigating the inevitable difficulties that each one of us must face. Today, many Christians are troubled by weakness, doubt, and fear, largely because they miss the help that prayer might provide. The greater wisdom of prayer is simply discovering—and experiencing—that we never have to face a day alone.

Joy,

“At evening, morning, and midday I complain and moan so that God will hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17 (Common English Bible)

Framed on my desk is a picture of Eeyore, a character from the Winnie the Pooh stories who is the ever-glum, pessimistic, and sarcastic donkey friend of Pooh. The picture is part of a larger running tease I have with my wife. Frequently, I remind her that my hero is Eeyore simply because he understands me. When I encounter difficulties or obstacles that must be overcome, I imitate the glum voice of Eeyore, saying something like, “It’s no use. I simply can’t manage this setback.” In truth, I find humor in this performance of Eeyore. My wife really doesn’t. With a roll of her eyes, she simply walks away. Imagine my delight when I encountered this passage from Psalm 55:17, “At evening, morning, and midday I complain and moan.” Reading these words to my wife, I exclaimed, “The Bible really gets me!” I received the same reaction from her; she rolled her eyes and walked away.

Recently, I shared lunch with a friend and told him about my fascination with the character, Eeyore. His response resulted in a major disruption of my running tease, “Eeyore may be the most courageous character in the Winnie the Pooh stories.”[i] Bill went on to say that even though Eeyore was certainly a pessimist and always complaining and moaning, he stays in community with his friends. He shows up for them, participates with them in shared adventures, and can be counted on whenever any one of them needs him. Eeyore doesn’t disconnect because of his glum outlook. There is a commitment to his friends that is stronger than what he may be feeling. Eeyore does not allow his mood to be the arbiter of his relationship with others. Numbness and unconcern are rejected by Eeyore, for he realizes that there remains worth in this life; his relationship with those who love him.

Eeyore’s refusal to surrender to withdrawal, resignation, and defeat in life is captured in these words from Psalm 55:17, “At evening, morning, and midday I complain and moan so that God will hear my voice.” Complaint and moaning are not verbal self-pity as one might suppose. Rather, they are a prayer! They are a prayer that is made continuously: “at evening, morning, and midday.” These words are a precursor to Jesus’ own teaching in Luke’s Gospel of our need to pray continuously and not be discouraged.[ii] The Psalmist is not discouraged. The Psalmist’s continuous prayer is a demonstration of faith in the absolute fidelity of a loving God. Keeping Godward channels open by frequent prayer builds and strengthens a relationship with God that brings its own gift, the knowledge that, come what may in this life, we do not move through life alone.

As though opening a can of condensed milk, we now discover that compressed into sixteen words is the formula for making our prayers more vital. First, time for prayer is prioritized. Each day is an opportunity to strengthen a relationship with God. Relationships are never built with the occasional visit or telephone call. Nor is a relationship with God. Even the busiest person will find time for prayer if they really want to. Second, prayer fills the day, “at evening, morning, and midday.” This doesn’t mean speaking to God without interruption. It does mean a continual awareness of God’s presence, who might be addressed at any moment. Third, prayer isn’t bound to our mood. Forgetting prayer until a better mood arrives fails to understand that it is precisely when our mood is all wrong that we need God. Eeyore never fails to be available for his friends. Nor are we to fail to remain in community with God, through prayer. For this is a basic condition of a vital prayer life.

Joy,

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[i] Appreciation to Bill Bathurst for this observation.

[ii] Luke 18:1 (Common English Bible)

Written by Jim Mignard, a friend of Dr. Doug Hood.

“They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.” Acts 1:14 (New Living Translation)

God invites, but never compels his people to join him in honoring his name and in carrying out his purposes.  We send our R.S.V.P. to the Father’s invitation by praying daily, as the Christians of the first century did.

The earliest disciples didn’t fuss over strategies, their knowledge of the Old Testament, sermons, or the right kind of hymnal.  Rather, after praying, they caught the fire of Pentecost (Acts 2), pushed outward, and literally changed the history of the world.

Luke’s first volume, his Gospel, climaxes with the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and the praying and rejoicing of the disciples (24:52f)  His second volume, Acts of the Apostles, opens with the picture of the disciples “constantly devoting themselves to prayer” (1:14).

Before the disciples appointed someone to replace Judas, they prayed (Acts 1:24). Before choosing the Seven for the work of hospitality, they prayed (Acts 6:6).  Stephen, the first Stephen Minister, prayed that the sins of those who were stoning him to death would be forgiven (Acts 7:59f).

Daily prayer for God’s work, as well as for our own needs, does not require a special vocabulary of deep understanding of the Bible.  But it does require a willingness to engage the whole person with God, and such an engagement, you will find out, is really what is meant by worship.

If it’s not your habit to pray each day, consider purchasing a collection of prayers for daily use..  A prayer, after all, is a prayer.  Or, ask someone in the church to write out for you simple prayers that show praise, adoration, and gratitude to God, and that express your desire for the furtherance of his work in your life, in your family, in our church, and throughout the world. 

Years ago, my wife and I adopted the principle of Hudson Taylor, the founder of the old China Inland Mission, on the practice of prayer: “We must learn,” he said, “to move men through God by prayer alone.”  That still holds.  It advances the gospel and builds up the church.  But most importantly, it honors God.

Joy,