Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 54

One Simple Way to Keep Our Neighborhoods Safe -- Reflections on the New York and Sutherland Terror Attacks

I awakened with New York City weighing heavily on my spirit. It’s heartbreaking to think that innocent people, out for a walk, a run, or a bike ride on a crisp autumn day, had died because an evil man had mowed them down with a truck.

Later, the news of a church shooting in Texas added to the horror.

I walk almost every day, and although I don’t live in a metropolitan area or a tiny town, evil isn’t limited by geography or socio-economic status. A rash of recent car break ins have troubled my neighborhood. Many have installed special lighting, and one neighbor organized a Crime Watch meeting at a nearby church. 

Car break ins are a nuisance compared to the carnage New York City experienced recently, but both are proof that we need greater security. How can we protect ourselves? 

When fearful thoughts trouble my spirit, I’m learning to take them to God, so that’s what I did. As I walked the streets of my neighborhood early one morning, I prayed, and God spoke. He brought to mind a Bible verse I’d studied this week. 

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  

In Psalm 122:6, God calls his people to pray for the peace of their holy city. While no one’s ever called Lexington, South Carolina, a holy city, the principle still applies. Praying regularly for our city’s peace, and, on a smaller scale, the neighborhoods in which we live, is biblical. God uses our prayers to spread his protective covering over our homes and our streets. 

So this morning, as I walked the five streets and seven cul de sacs of my neighborhood, I prayed. I asked God to keep our neighborhood safe from anyone who would do us harm. I prayed a blessing over each family, inviting God to make himself very real to them and to meet their every need. I petitioned him to strengthen the faith of the believers who live here and embolden them to share their faith with others. And I asked him to bless us, using us to minister in his name.  

Today, as you drive or walk through your neighborhood, instead of listening to music or mindlessly daydreaming, why not spend a few minutes praying? It could make all the difference.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Practice Makes Doesn't Make Perfect

The acrid smell of chlorine stung my nose as I peered through the damp air. Warm tendrils of steam rising from the churning surface of the pool obscured my view of the swimmers. From my perspective, all I could see were heads, arms, and an occasional foot rising above the water. 

Coach Irwin, however, could see it all. 

“Duck your head more.” He shouted to a struggling swimmer. “Push off hard with your feet. Count the number of strokes to the wall.” 

Sometimes he’d pull a swimmer from the water. 

“Turn your arm like this,” he’d say, demonstrating the stroke. “Now you try it.” 

“Everybody always says, ‘Practice makes perfect,’” he’d say to me in his clipped New York accent. “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. However they practice, that’s what will become permanent. This is why they’ve got to practice it right." 

Practice makes permanent. Coach Irwin’s wise words have returned to me many times in the 15 years since he coached my daughters’ swim team. Their application extends far beyond the swimming pool. 

Whatever habit we practice will become permanent, whether we intend it to or not.Take worry, for example. At 18, I had practiced worrying a lot. I worried about what had happened in the past, what was happening in the present, and what might happen in the future. I worried so much that if you checked the default setting on my life, you’d see the toggle button firmly set on WORRY. 

When I became a Christian, however, I learned worry isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a sin. YIKES.

“Do not be anxious about anything,” Philippians 4:6 commands.

Don’t be anxious? Don’t worry or fret? If I don’t stew and churn, how am I supposed to deal with the scary things that come into my life? “. . . but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 

Pray instead of fret? Intercede instead of worry? Petition instead of stress?

The practice of worrying had become permanent in my life, but as a Christian, I knew this sin had to go. And the only way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit. 

“Practice makes permanent,” Coach Irwin had said, and he was right. I needed to practice a new habit, a better habit, a helpful, healthy, God-sanctioned, permanent habit. 

Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing,” so that’s what I purposed to do. 

Health crisis? Pray. 

Economic uncertainty? Pray. 

Relationship difficulties? Pray. 

Heartbreak? Pray. Loneliness, fear, uncertainty? Pray. 

Psychologists say it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. Well I’ve been training for 21 years, and sometimes I still struggle. Just the other night, when I should have been sleeping, I was worrying instead. One fear fed another until my brain was whirling with scary pictures and dreadful possibilities. 

Then the sweet, soft voice of the Holy Spirit spoke truth into my troubled heart. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you (Psalm 56:3). I will lie down and sleep, for you, O Lord, cause me to dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8). Pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17).”

I still have a way to go before prayer becomes my default setting, but the more I exchange worry for prayer, the more permanent the habit will become. 

“Practice makes permanent,” Coach Irwin said. 

Which habit are you practicing today? Now it’s your turn. Do you struggle with worry? What do you do to combat it? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Note: I'm sad to say that Coach Irwin passed away recently. As my daughter said in a memorial post:

In my mind you'll always be stalking the pool deck with your booming voice and demand for perfection in every detail of practice. The world seems a little smaller and much too quiet tonight without you in it, Coach. Rest easy. #practicemakespermanent



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Practice Makes . . . Permanent?

The acrid smell of chlorine stung my nose as I peered through the damp air. Warm tendrils of steam rising from the churning surface of the pool obscured my view of the swimmers. From my perspective, all I could see were heads, arms, and an occasional foot rising above the water. 

Coach Irwin, however, could see it all. 

“Duck your head more.” He shouted to a struggling swimmer. “Push off hard with your feet. Count the number of strokes to the wall.” 

Sometimes he’d pull a swimmer from the water. 

“Turn your arm like this,” he’d say, demonstrating the stroke. “Now you try it.” 

“Everybody always says, ‘Practice makes perfect,’” he’d say to me in his clipped New York accent. “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. However they practice, that’s what will become permanent. This is why they’ve got to practice it right." 

Practice makes permanent. Coach Irwin’s wise words have returned to me many times in the 15 years since he coached my daughters’ swim team. Their application extends far beyond the swimming pool. 

Whatever habit we practice will become permanent, whether we intend it to or not.Take worry, for example. At 18, I had practiced worrying a lot. I worried about what had happened in the past, what was happening in the present, and what might happen in the future. I worried so much that if you checked the default setting on my life, you’d see the toggle button firmly set on WORRY. 

When I became a Christian, however, I learned worry isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a sin. YIKES.

“Do not be anxious about anything,” Philippians 4:6 commands.

Don’t be anxious? Don’t worry or fret? If I don’t stew and churn, how am I supposed to deal with the scary things that come into my life? “. . . but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 

Pray instead of fret? Intercede instead of worry? Petition instead of stress?

The practice of worrying had become permanent in my life, but as a Christian, I knew this sin had to go. And the only way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit. 

“Practice makes permanent,” Coach Irwin had said, and he was right. I needed to practice a new habit, a better habit, a helpful, healthy, God-sanctioned, permanent habit. 

Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing,” so that’s what I purposed to do. 

Health crisis? Pray. 

Economic uncertainty? Pray. 

Relationship difficulties? Pray. 

Heartbreak? Pray. Loneliness, fear, uncertainty? Pray. 

Psychologists say it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. Well I’ve been training for 21 years, and sometimes I still struggle. Just the other night, when I should have been sleeping, I was worrying instead. One fear fed another until my brain was whirling with scary pictures and dreadful possibilities. 

Then the sweet, soft voice of the Holy Spirit spoke truth into my troubled heart. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you (Psalm 56:3). I will lie down and sleep, for you, O Lord, cause me to dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8). Pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17).”

I still have a way to go before prayer becomes my default setting, but the more I exchange worry for prayer, the more permanent the habit will become. 

“Practice makes permanent,” Coach Irwin said. 

Which habit are you practicing today? Now it’s your turn. Do you struggle with worry? What do you do to combat it? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Missing Dogs and Lost Sheep -- Reflections on God's Love

Missing: White husky with blue eyes and a pink nose with one freckle on it. 

The post on Craigslist tugged at my heart for several reasons. First, because although I’ve never had a dog go missing, I have loved one enough to know what it would feel like if he were lost. Second, because this wasn’t the first post I’d seen about this missing (and feared kidnapped) dog. His owner has been plastering the area with notices for more than three weeks. 

What grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go was the last part of his description – a pink nose with one freckle on it. 

Anyone could have described a white husky. And pink noses often accompany white fur. But only someone who had looked long into his beloved dog’s face, studied it, and maybe even kissed its pink nose a few times would have noticed that single freckle. It’s obvious this description was written by someone who loved his pet enough to notice everything about it and commit it to memory. 

I recently watched a young mother with her newborn baby. She nestled him close in the crook of her arm and studied him closely. The downy-soft fuzz on his head. The plump curve of his cheek. The delicate arch of his eyebrows. With her tender gaze she committed every detail to memory. ‘Twas a holy thing, those love glances. 

I’ve been blessed to love a dog and a child this much, but I’m even more blessed to belong to a God who loves me this much – and a thousand times more. You do, too. One who notices everything about you, right down to the very last freckle. Luke 12:7 tells us, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” 

Isaiah 40:11 describes his nurturing, shepherd’s heart. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart . . .” I suspect, as God the Good Shepherd carries us close to his heart, he looks upon us with deep, adoring love. How sweet is that? 

I’m sad that my neighbor’s dog is missing. I hope he finds his way home soon. 

But lost souls make me even sadder than lost dogs. If you’ve wandered far from home, I hope you’ll find your way back. The God who knows the number of hairs on your head longs to hold you tight, carry you close to his heart, and welcome you home.

If you'd like to know more about how to have a relationship with God, I invite you to CLICK HERE.


UPDATE on Nesta, the missing HuskySince I wrote this post, Nesta and her owner have been reunited. I don't know the details, but this picture says it all.




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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

One Way to Instantly Improve Your Relationships

“I couldn’t believe he did that,” my friend said as she described the almost-fight she had with her husband. “He walks right past the puddle of milk on the kitchen floor and out the back door. An entire gallon of milk on the floor, and he walks around it like it’s my responsibility to clean it up. Surely he couldn’t stoop so low as to grab some paper towels and help me. Oh no. That’s beneath him.” 

“Then,” she said as she continued the story, “he walks back in carrying the shop vac. ’This is way too much liquid to mop up,’ he says. ‘This’ll get it up in no time.’ Boy, was I glad I didn’t light into him. I feel bad even thinking about what I coulda said.” 

Sarah, another friend, chimed in. “Yeah, something similar happened to me recently. I picked up my husband’s phone and noticed that he’d made three calls, on three separate days, to one of my best friends. Why would he be calling her? And three times?” We nodded. Suspicious. Definitely suspicious. 

“I thought about it all day long,” she said. “He’s cheating on me. With my best friend. Well I’m not going to stand for that. If he wants her, he can have her. Good riddance." 

“I stormed in the door after work all ready to confront him,” she paused. “But I didn’t get to say a word. People jumped out from everywhere yelling ‘Surprise!’ Turns out he and Tiffany had been planning my surprise birthday party for weeks.” 

She turned sheepish eyes toward us and said, “It was a surprise, alright. I'm so glad I didn’t make a fool of myself.” 

While I know every story doesn’t have a similarly happy ending, they share a common thread. Both women erred by assuming the worst about their husbands instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt. It’s so easy to do this, not just in our relationship with our husband, but with our kids, our coworkers, even strangers. 

They didn’t do what I asked because they’re lazy and trying to get out of work. 

I saw how they stopped talking when I came into the room. They must have been talking about me. 

She didn’t come to my party last week. She hates me. 

How different would our world be if, instead of assuming the worst of people, we assumed the best? What if we looked for the good, instead of looking for the bad? 

“He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it,” Prov. 11:27 says. 

The lens through which we view the world, in large part, determines how we see the world. If we look for good, we’ll see it everywhere. If we look for evil, we’ll see that instead. 

The nightly news is a classic example. Thirty minutes of watching will convince us that the world is filled with murders, rapists, child molesters, and racists. When was the last time you watched a story about someone doing something kind for another? How different would our perception, and perhaps even our reality be if the media promoted the positive instead of the negative? 

Emerson Eggerichs, author of Love and Respect, issues this challenge: “Look for the good in your spouse (even though it seems to be lacking). It is quite likely that you will see your spouse’s goodwill coming right back at you. The truth is simple: we will see what we look for. No matter what happens, always assume your partner has basic goodwill toward you.” 

And while Eggerichs acknowledges that seeking good in others doesn’t always result in receiving good from them, it’s still the best policy. “Keep on seeking the good; eventually you will find it and goodwill as well.” 

Our world is filled with both good and evil. Every day we get to choose which we will look for. Sometimes the evil pushes its way into our lives to the point that we can’t ignore it, but most days we’ll see what we choose to see. 

Today, I purpose to look for the good wherever I go. Will you join me?



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Praying Eternity into Our Children

I pray every day for my children. My grandchildren, too. I suspect you do as well.

I pray for their health, safety, prosperity, and success. I ask God to fill their lives with good things and protect them from evil. When they travel, I ask God to carry them safely to and from their destination. When they struggle with health issues, I pray for healing and restoration. When they are tired, afraid, or discouraged, I petition the Lord to renew their strength, quiet their hearts, and restore their joy.

As they raise their children, I pray God will give them wisdom, patience, gentleness, and endurance. And patience. Yes, and patience. And did I mention patience?

More than anything else, though, I pray for one thing – the same thing the apostle Paul prayed for the church of the Thessalonians. This bold, fearless champion of the faith penned some of the sweetest words you’ll ever read from one person to another. Paul’s protective father heart shines through as he addresses his beloved Thessalonians.

Listen to how he describes his time with them:

“But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:7-8).

Do you hear the love in his words? And how aptly he describes the parent heart that beats in our own chest. Not only have we given our children physical life and nurtured and cared for their bodies until they were able to care for themselves, we’ve also poured our spiritual lives into them.

Not just doing the minimum to raise their bodies to maturity, but emptying ourselves into their souls so that they might become willing receptacles for God’s gift of eternal life. We didn’t just preach the Gospel out of a sense of duty, we lived the Gospel, every day, in every way, hoping it would bear fruit in them.

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?” Paul asks. What will matter more than anything else when we stand before Christ? “Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

“I don’t care how big the crowds have been at my speaking events,” Paul says. “It doesn’t matter how successful I’ve been in business, how much money I’ve made, or how well-thought of I’ve been in society, what would bring me the most joy is to stand beside you, my beloved children, in the presence of the Lord Jesus.”

Isn’t this our heart, too? More than anything else, we want to stand alongside our children in the presence of Jesus – none missing, united in Christ for all eternity. 

This is why Paul said, “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people . . .” If it were possible, we’d willingly give our lives –not just our physical lives, but our eternal lives – for our children’s souls.

But we can’t, and so we water our prayers with tears and labor for their salvation. And when they are saved, we still do not rest until Christ is fully formed in them.

Father, guard our children from the dangers of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Don’t allow Satan to snatch the good seed of the Word from their lives. Help them discern between the shiny trinkets of the here and now and the gold and silver of eternity. Keep them from wasting their lives pursuing vain and empty success and instead inspire them to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness. Draw their hearts to you with cords of loving kindness so their every word, thought, and action brings you glory. Bless our family with a thousand generations who love you.



   

 If you’re reading by email, click HERE to listen to Selah’s soul-stirring rendition of How Deep the Father’s Love for Us. 


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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Why Does God Answer Our Prayers?

Ever wonder why God answers our prayers?


I used to think God answered our prayers because we were pretty good people. Until I discovered that no one’s good. Not really good, anyway, by God’s standard. Romans 3:23 confirms this. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

So much for that idea.

Then I thought God might answer our prayers if we do more good than we do bad. You know, like the proverbial scales so many people use to gauge whether or not they’ll go to heaven. Enough good works, and you slide in. More bad than good? Sorry. No admittance.

Since this is a faulty and unbiblical approach to eternity (Eph. 2:8-9), I’m not sure why I thought it might apply to our prayers, but for a while I entertained the idea.

Picture this: God: “Ah, Lori, now she’s done really well this week. She attended church twice, put a tithe in the offering plate, and let three people go ahead of her in line at Aldi. She deserves at least one answered prayer, don’t you think?”

Unfortunately, I’ve found no biblical support for this view, either. While I read hundreds of passages on how living according to God’s principles will bring blessings into our lives, I found nothing that discussed the ratio of good deeds to answered prayers. God does not “owe me” a favor as a repayment for my good works.

Sad, because there were a few prayer requests I really wanted to bargain for.

Then I considered the possibility that if I mustered up enough passion and energy about my prayer requests, maybe my fervency would catch God’s attention and convince him I was serious. After all, doesn’t James 5:19 say, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much?”

So fervent I became.

“God, pleeeeeeeeeeeease act in this situation. I know you are mighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, Warrior of the Universe, King of King and Lord of Lords, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the patriarchs whose names I don’t remember. You’re faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings . . . oops, sorry. I got you confused with Superman for a minute there, but I know you’re even better than Superman, so pleeeeeeeeease answer my prayer.”

But the problem with this prayer theology is it pictures God as a reluctant giver who must be manipulated into answering my prayers. It implies if I don’t put on enough of a dog and pony show, if I don’t beat my breast and fall on my face, or work myself into an emotional frenzy in an attempt to convince God of my sincerity, then he won’t give me what I want.

Which is not God at all.

Matthew 7:11 tells me he loves to give good gifts to his children. Generously. Lavishly. Joyfully. I don’t need to become a drama queen to demonstrate my passion. He already knows my heart, without all the theatrics.

Then I finally figured it out.

Remember that passage about the widow who had no other recourse but to badger the unrighteous judge until he gave in and granted her petition? That’s the key. Persistence. Nag God until he’s so sick of hearing my voice that he answers my prayer just to shut me up.

No. No. No. That’s not it, either. While many prayer requests require a concerted effort over a long period of time, this isn’t because God is a miser whose every gift must be forced out of his prayer-pinching hands. The purpose of persevering prayer is to change me, not God. I’m the one who needs to be conformed to his will, not him to mine.


And then I read Daniel 9:18. And discovered one reason God answers our prayers.

“We do not make requests of you because we are righteous,” Daniel prayed, “but because of your great mercy.” 

Our goodness doesn’t earn God’s favor. Nor do our good works. Our fervency doesn’t manipulate him. Nor does our persistence. God answers our prayers because of his mercy. The abundant, unmerited, gracious favor that flows out of God’s great, big, loving heart. We can’t earn it. We don’t deserve it, but we should be infinitely grateful for it.

Father God, we come to you today a humble, sinful people, wrapped in the borrowed righteousness of Christ. Left to ourselves, we are foolish, stubborn, and prideful. Forgive us for daring to think we can bargain for your favor. While it’s been said prayer is the slender thread that moves the hand of God, remind us it is mercy that allows us to grasp that silken cord. 

We come to you now, not because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Hear our cries. Act on our behalf. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and may our prayers always glorify you. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

If you'd like to celebrate God's mercy just a little while longer, I invite you to enjoy Matt Redman's "Mercy."






If you're reading by email and can't see the video, click HERE to watch Matt Redman's Mercy. 



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

When Is It OK to Stop Praying?

Sherry has a prodigal son. For years she’s watched him self destruct. After ten years of praying for his salvation, she’s weary and discouraged. She wonders if her prayers are accomplishing anything. Maybe she should just give up and quit praying. 

Lisa lives with a difficult husband. Angry and explosive, he loses his temper often over the smallest things. Although he’s always been faithful to her and provides well for their family, his anger has been an unpleasant part of their relationship for 30 years. Every morning Lisa prays, “Lord, help him not get angry today.” Sometimes her prayers work, and other times it’s as though she’d never prayed. She wonders if praying does any good at all. Maybe she should quit asking God for help. 

Pat has loved to write since she was a teenager. “Lord,” she’s prayed for years, “help me publish a book that will point others to you.” Almost a decade has passed, and although she’s enjoyed some writing success, her dream of publishing a book seems no closer to fulfillment than when she first prayed about it. She wonders if she should quit asking God for something he seems unwilling to grant. 

Christians know we’re supposed to pray, but the results are mixed, at best. Sometimes God answers our requests immediately. Other times it takes weeks, months, or even years to see results. Jesus, our best example of a prayer warrior, acknowledged this when he told his disciples a parable to show them “that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). 

But is it ever appropriate to stop praying for something? Is there ever a reason to cross an unanswered request off our list or strike it from our prayer journal? I think so. 

Scripture gives us several good reasons to stop praying: 

1. We should stop praying when God has clearly answered No. 

If you’ve been praying about a relationship with a guy, and he gets married, you can safely stop praying. God has closed that door. If you interviewed for a job, and they hired someone else, it’s time to redirect your petitions. Banging our heads against doors God has unequivocally closed is futile and foolish. It reveals a stubborn heart that thinks we know better than God what’s best for us. 

Pat’s book manuscript was turned down by every publisher she submitted it to. Once she exhausted her sources for book publication, she realized God might have something else in mind for her words of encouragement. She converted her chapters into articles and submitted them to magazine and online publications. So far five of her articles have been published, reaching more than 50,000 readers – far more than most books ever reach. Now, instead of praying for a book, she asks God to direct her to the readers who most need her words. 

2. We should stop praying when God removes our desire for the object of our prayers. 

Many times I’ve begun praying for something, only to find that after a few days, weeks, or months, I don’t really want it any more. Maybe I discover more information about what I thought would make me happy and realize it’s not best after all. Other times my desire just wanes and fades. When this happens, I can confidently stop praying about it. 

Psalm 37:4 promises that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, he will give us the desires of my heart. While this sometimes means he will give us what our heart desires, it usually means that he will give our heart the desires he wants it to have. As we pray in faith and trust that God knows what’s best for us, he takes our desires and molds them to fit his plan and purpose for our lives. In love, he sometimes takes what looks enticing and perfect and rubs the shine off so we can see it as it truly is. 

3. We could stop praying when God shows us a greater purpose for our situation. 

As Lisa faithfully prays about her husband’s temper, he continues to have angry outbursts. Through the years, she’s noticed that her prayers have gradually changed. Instead of asking God to change her husband’s disposition, she finds herself praying more often about her response to his outbursts.

“Lord,” she prayed this week, “help me not return evil for evil, but to use a soft answer to turn away his wrath (Prov. 15:1). Help me love my husband even when he acts unlovable, forgiving him as Christ has forgiven me. Protect my heart from bitterness.” 

Lisa’s husband may always struggle with anger, and it’s never too late for God to change him. But even if he doesn’t, Lisa can grow closer to the Lord and more like Christ through the struggle. By being open to more than one answer to her prayers, Lisa has experienced the closeness and growth in her relationship with Christ that’s even sweeter than a husband with a peaceful disposition. 

Which brings us full circle to Sherry, the woman with the prodigal son who desperately needs salvation. Should she stop praying for him after ten years with no apparent results? 

Never. 

Never. Never. Never. Why? 

1. Because she will never hear God say No to this request. While not every prodigal child will come to faith in Christ, only God alone knows who will ultimately accept or reject him. Sherry’s job is to pray in faith. 

2. Because God will never remove this desire from Sherry’s heart. Because she loves her son, she’ll never stop hoping he’ll accept Christ as his Savior and experience the joy of a transformed life. 

3. The only greater purpose God can reveal to Sherry for her son’s prodigal years is that they demonstrate his need for a Savior. This will only strengthen her resolve to pray. 

If you’ve been praying for something, and God has closed the door, it’s okay to stop praying. If you’ve been praying for something and God has changed your heart, it’s okay to stop praying. If you’ve been praying for something and God has shown you a different purpose for your request, it’s okay to stop praying. 

But if you’re praying for a loved one’s salvation, never stop. 

Never, never stop. 

While there is breath left in your body, continue to pray. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much,” James 5:16 tells us, and on this we stake our hope. 

If you need a little encouragement, here’s a true story from D.L. Moody about the power of a mother’s prayers: 

The Praying Mother. 

"I remember being in the (military) camp and a man came to me and said, "Mr. Moody, when the Mexican war began I wanted to enlist. My mother, seeing I was resolved, said if I became a Christian I might go. She pleaded and prayed that I might become a Christian, but I wouldn't. I said when the war was over I would become a Christian, but not till then. 

"All her pleading was in vain, and at last, when I was going away, she took out a watch and said: My son, your father left this to me when he died. Take it, and I want you to remember that every day at 12 o'clock your mother will be praying for you. Then she gave me her Bible, and marked out passages, and put a few different references in the fly-leaf. I took the watch and the Bible just because my mother gave them. I never intended to read the Bible. 

"I went off to Mexico, and one day while on a long, weary march, I took out my watch, and it was 12 o'clock. I had been gone four months, but I remembered that my mother at that hour was praying for me. Something prompted me to ask the officer to relieve me for a little while, and I stepped behind a tree away out on those plains of Mexico, and cried to the God of my mother to save me." 

Now it’s your turn. Has there ever been a time when God’s shown you it’s time to stop praying? Leave a comment below and share your story.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

4 of Satan's Lies - And the Truth to Combat Them

“The only weapon Satan has is lies.” 

Truer words have never been spoken. Author Jennifer Kennedy Dean’s statement finds its basis in Jesus’ description of him in John 8:44: “He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” 

For an enemy with only one weapon, he’s sure waging a successful war. 

By definition, a lie is the opposite of the truth. Because fewer and fewer people believe in truth, let alone the truth of God’s Word, it’s no surprise that Satan appears to be winning the battle. 

Because lies are like cockroaches, which flee when you turn on the light, I’d like to shine some light on a few of Satan’s most pervasive lies:


Lie #1: Your worth is determined by what you do. 

Truth: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7). 

This world (under Satan’s temporary rule) tries to convince us that we are only valuable when we are measurably productive. This is a lie from the pit of hell. The unborn, the handicapped, and the aged are victimized by this lie, but it also winds its poisonous tentacles around the stay-at-home wife or mother, the retired, unemployed, and uneducated. 

God’s Word, however, tells us the opposite — that we are valuable in and of ourselves. Because we are created in God’s image, we have infinite worth. 

 Lie #2: You’d be happy if you just had ___________. 

Truth: “Then (Jesus) said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). 

This lie, however, doesn’t limit itself to boats, and cars, and houses. It tells us we’d be happier if we were married. Or divorced. Or had different children, husbands, jobs, or bank accounts. The lie that we need something or someone is as old as the Garden of Eden, but Satan continues to repurpose it. 

The only thing that will truly satisfy us is a relationship with Christ. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;” Jesus said. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). 

Lie #3: God’s Word isn’t true. 

Truth: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). 

“Think about how powerful that lie is,” writes blogger Douglas Hoff on Belief.net. “If the word of God is not true then there would be no need to obey God. The devil doesn’t care if you hang onto part of the truth, because he has you where he wants you if don’t have all of the truth. He doesn’t mind if people call the Bible ‘a good guidebook for raising a family’ as long as he can convince people it is full of errors and man-made stories.” 

Lie #4: Living for God is a waste of time. 

Truth: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:24–26). 

Author and pastor John Piper says this: “It is possible to waste your life. Few things make me tremble more than the possibility of taking this onetime gift of life and wasting it. Every morning when I walked into the kitchen as a boy I saw hanging on the wall the plaque that now hangs in my living room: ‘Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.’ 

"And now I am almost 58, and the river of life is spilling over the falls of my days with tremendous speed. More and more I smell eternity. And oh, how I want to use my life well. It is so short and so fragile and so final. You get one chance to live your life. And then the judgment."

Pastor/teacher Chip Ingram issues a final warning to us about Satan’s lies: "We must recognize how the evil one is working in this world and take a firm stance against him. It means we take careful thought concerning what we put in our minds - what we listen to, what we watch, and how we use our time.” 

So how do we spot Satan’s lies? How do we guard ourselves against their poison? By filling our minds and hearts with the truth of God’s Word. 

I encourage you, the next time the cockroach lies of Satan creep across your mind, turn on the light of God’s Word, and watch them flee. "The devil abhors light and truth,” missionary Watchman Nee wrote, “because these remove the ground of his working." 

Now it’s your turn. What lie does Satan throw at you, and what scriptural truth do you use to combat it? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Half Empty with a Bug at the Bottom or Full and Running Over?

“Isn’t the cool weather lovely this morning?” I asked my patient as I seated her in the dental chair.

“Yeah, but before you know it it’ll be cold,” she said, “and I hate cold.”

“True, but don’t you just love to curl up under a blanket on a cold winter night?”

“I guess, but cold weather means the holidays are coming, and I hate the holidays.”

“Whaaat? Don’t you like visiting with your family and eating all those delicious Christmas cookies?” I said.

“Yeah, I do, but as soon as they leave, I’ll have a mess to clean up. It’ll take days to get my house back in order. And Christmas cookies? Hmph. All that butter and sugar. My cholesterol will never recover.”

No matter what I did to steer the conversation to the positive, my patient was determined to reroute it. Like a magnet with a negative charge, this lady was headed in one direction and one direction only. Even the happy news that she had no cavities didn’t brighten her smile.

“I’ll probably have five next time,” she grumbled as she made her way out the door.

“Wow,” my boss said, “her glass was certainly half empty.”

“More like half empty with a bug at the bottom,” I said, shaking my head.

We encounter negative people every day. The grumpy barista at the coffee shop. The rude waiter at the restaurant. The Debbie Downer co-worker who loves to point out everything that’s wrong. Sometimes, horror of horror, we’re the Negative Nellie dragging down the happiness and licking the red off everyone’s candy. '

But while negativity is powerful, positivity is even more powerful. A smile, a kind word, or an encouraging “atta-girl” has the ability to change someone’s day. It can raise the happiness meter in the room and make everyone within earshot smile.

Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age , said, “Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.”

This has been true in my life. When I was in sixth grade, my substitute English teacher, Mrs. Silva, wrote a note at the bottom of my writing assignment. I like the interesting verbs you used. You’re going to be a great writer someday. 

Thirty years later, I’m still a long way from becoming a great writer, but her words set me on the path and gave me a gentle nudge.

This summer I returned to my home town. Although I had tried unsuccessfully several times before to find my middle school teacher, a chance conversation with a relative provided the information I lacked.

Heart beating excitedly, I called her, explained who I was, and arranged to meet. When we visited that evening, I reminded her of the writing assignment long ago and the kind words she had written at the bottom.

“Oh my,” she laughed, “I graded so many papers that semester. I don’t remember.” 

“Oh, but I do,” I assured her. “Thank you for taking the time to encourage me. And for your part in my writing journey.”

I handed her a copy of my devotional book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, inscribed with her name in the flyleaf, and she sat quietly for a moment, flipping through the pages.

“I retired five years ago,” she said softly. “I’ve always wondered if I made a difference.”

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”

Today, we have the chance to affect someone’s life, either positively or negatively. Will we be like my patient with her glass half full and something nasty in the bottom of it? Or will we be like my middle school teacher with her glass so full it runs over and splashes onto anyone nearby?

Now it’s your turn. Has anyone ever spoken words of affirmation that have changed the course of your life? Leave a comment below and share your story.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher