Recently a friend that I had not spoken with in a while sent me a text.  It read that he had just driven by my office and took a moment to pray for me.  He knew that my practice had become quite busy and his prayer was that God would give me strength to manage my workload while still having the time and energy to be a great dad and husband for my family.  What a great friend.  What an amazing God.  It is of no surprise this text came on a day that I needed some words of encouragement.  I hope that each day I can touch someone’s life in such a powerful way.

The last couple of additions of “At the Cross” have focused on ways that God speaks to us.  The first is scripture, God’s Holy Word.  We should all spend more time reading The Bible.  Despite what the world wants us to believe, it is unchanging, and is as important today as it ever was.  The second is God’s creation.  In Revelation 5, John tells us that he heard “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them…” singing praise to God.  Finally, God obviously spoke to me that day through the prayer of a friend.

The incredible thing about prayer is it also allows us to speak with God.  The Bible is full of examples of Christ slipping off somewhere quietly to pray.  In Matthew 6, starting with verse 9, Jesus gives us an example of how we should pray.  This begins with praise for the Father and asking that His will be done.  I am certain that many of us feel like we have prayers that have gone unanswered.  It is difficult for us to comprehend that God’s ways are far greater than ours, and He knows what is best for us.  We must focus on willful, deliberate prayer and avoid letting it become a simple list of requests to God.  I encourage you to find a quiet place, read the scriptures, and pray fervently and with faith.  You will discover that when you do these things, you always get God.  Sometimes you will get the miracle you seek, or perhaps something even greater.

Dr. B