Out of the Mouths of Babes
Jamey is six and had questions for his mom about their trip Mexico. Jamey spends a lot of time reading the Explorer magazine and it has impacted him pretty deeply!
Blood, Sweat & Compassion: Kilimanjaro – The Ascent
Mt. Kilimanjaro ascent day was epic, to say the least. It was like Ben Hur, The Odyssey and Lord of the Rings all rolled into one.
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
Perhaps you’ve been waiting on something for a long time, and you’re weary. You’re not alone!
What’s So Important About Being First Anyway?
For four days we hiked up Mt. Kilimanjaro, experiencing breathtaking scenery and great camaraderie along the way. Up to this point, the ever-increasing altitude was not a problem. But would we make it to the summit?
A Fireball from God
What would God have to do in order to convince you that He exists and that He cares about you? Would it take a ball of fire suddenly appearing before you?
God Hears Our Prayers
Think about the times God has answered your prayers. What are the most-recent 10 prayers He has answered?
Never Give Up! Keep Praying!
I am happy to serve our Lord through the ministry in Brazil for more than five years. During this time, we have faced and overcome many challenges and obstacles.
I have had the opportunity to witness God’s action in each situation faced. I confess there were times when the adversity seemed that it would stop me, or it would make me give up.
One of the most recent experiences we had was in April 2011. We faced a situation so adverse that we didn’t know what to do.
The preoccupation and fear were real, and they occupied our emotions. We joined in prayer — not only in our daily devotional, but also in our department — crying out to the Lord for a solution. The more we prayed, the more we were challenged to keep praying and persevering. We didn’t give up.
Even before contrary circumstances and with our human limitations, there was deeply inside of us the hope that the Lord would give us victory. How faithful is our God! He heard our prayers, our cries, and He gave us the solution. Once again His name was glorified among us. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
So never give up! Persist, presenting your causes to the Lord through prayer, even if they seem impossible for you. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and not on circumstances, people, or yourself. God always listens to and answers all your prayers, but in His time and in His way. He has reserved the best for each one of us.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. —Luke 18:1, NIV
Prayer: Dear Lord, in Jesus’ name we ask You to strengthen us each day and help us to be persistent in our prayers, that we’ll never give up the fight for the Lord’s cause. We trust that You will act in due time and according to Your will. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Regina Silva is an accountant in our Brazilian office.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.
Silence and Solitude
Silence and solitude are two often-forgotten spiritual disciplines, yet they are so important.
Unbridled Joy
When exactly does that happen — that our joy is snuffed out, stuffed down or smothered? What happens to stifle that unspeakable joy that used to well up at the slightest provocation?
I See God In You
One little boy was not playing with the others, but he was smiling as he watched their game. As Lara walked closer to him to invite him to join them, she noticed his completely broken sandals and his mangled, bloody toes.
In God We Trust
What’s your reaction when you read a newspaper or tune in to the news on TV or the radio? Do you panic or do you trust in God?
Do Not Be Afraid
Two nights before heading back home to Sri Lanka, my husband and I were walking down a dark side road in Chennai, India. We had just completed a ministry vision workshop and I was pumped. Reaching out to 1,000 children in our little tear-drop nation for Christ? I was ready. Or so I thought.
As we walked, we came upon a small community. It was a slum area, very much like those hidden in the corners of Colombo. People were chatting while they sat on dirty, half-tarred roads.
My eyes fell on a little girl not more than 7 years of age. Bent over a dirty book, she was writing, letter by letter. As she wrote, she said the letters out loud. Her only aid was the dim street lamp across the road. It was her only source of light. I stopped.
How do we reach out to little ones like her? I asked myself. “Do not fear, for I am with you,” rang the words written in Isaiah. There were raised voices and drunken men around her. They shouted in a language that was foreign to me. But she continued studying.
Dangers were screaming around her so much that the hair on my arms stood. She was not safe here. Again I asked, How do we reach out to those like her? And the answer rang again, extinguishing the fear in my heart: “Do not fear, for I am with you.”
There are many children just like this little girl in our nation, living in violent and fearful communities. That day God reminded me that we are placed here for such a time as this. And in my heart I know we have nothing to fear, for the Lord equips those whom He calls.
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10, NIV
Prayer: Jesus, we trust in You. Here we are. Send us. Use us. Fill us. We look to You. We have nothing to fear.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.
