Cross My Heart Ministry

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed….
John 17:1

John 17 captures the night before for Jesus.

The next day would bring his arrest and subsequent crucifixion. Because He was fully divine and fully human, He knew what He was facing:  harsh judgment, abuse, condemnation, and horrifically painful death.

When you and I have a challenge coming, how do we prepare? Reward ourselves with a good meal or a pedicure? Maybe some shopping therapy? Indulge in a chick flick with a big bowl of popcorn?

Jesus could have hung with his friends … perhaps gone fishing or reminisced around the campfire, “Remember that time we fed 5000 with a kid’s lunch? … Dude, how about that blind Bart that got to see?”

Jesus did not spend His night before relaxing, hanging with his buddies, or pampering Himself. He spent the night before doing the very best thing to prepare for the next day: He prayed.

Unlike Jesus, you and I are not divine, so we never know when today will be our own night before. We never know when our challenge will come, but we know it will.  We know trouble will find us. Jesus gave us this heads up:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.”
John 16:33a (NIV)

Note that Jesus doesn’t say we might have trouble. He doesn’t say trouble is a possibility. He says, “You will have trouble.” So if it’s coming, we are wise to prepare.

When the tornado sirens go off, we head to the basement.

We make freezer meals before the baby (and sleepless nights) arrive.

When the road sign pictures a sharp curve ahead, we slow down.

We nail up the shutters if the weather man says a hurricane is rolling in.

When the property tax bill comes, we start setting money aside to pay it.

Trouble will come, but we can have peace in the midst of it. It almost sounds – and feels – like an oxymoron, but it is true. It is possible. It comes by being “prayed up.”

We prepare for the unidentified-trouble-we-know-is-coming by PRAYING.

Take some time to read John 17. These 26 verses record the prayer of our Lord to His heavenly father. His prayer was for Himself, His disciples, and for all believers – that includes you and me! How extraordinary to know our Lord prayed for us the night before He sacrificed Himself for us.

Look closely at the prayer for Himself. He prayed for God to be glorified through the difficulty. He didn’t ask God to make it bearable or for death to come quickly. He leaned into the suffering because He wanted to fulfill His divine calling to glorify God.

You and I were created for the same purpose: to glorify God. And perhaps our suffering offers the greatest opportunity to fulfill that purpose.

The world shrugs with indifference when the healthy, wealthy, seemingly-blessed believer praises God. But when we praise Him in the pain – during serious illness, loss of a loved one, a prodigal child, divorce, a layoff, bankruptcy, or any other hard thing – the world takes note. They are curious, intrigued, and perhaps amazed enough to ask, Why? – and that is our opportunity to share a gospel story. An opportunity to bring glory to our great God who can use all things for our good and FOR HIS GLORY.

The last part of John 16:33 encourages us:

But take heart! I have overcome the world.
John 16:33b (NIV)

Bottom line:

1. Trouble will come.
2. Peace is possible even in times of trouble.
3. We get ready for trouble by being “prayed up.”
4. We can overcome because He overcame!

Women of God, are you ready
to start taking prayer seriously?
Are you ready to woman up
and get down on your knees?

In this week’s devotional video, Laura introduces our June Write the WORD topic, HONOR … and shares thoughts on how we can live honorably and respond with HONOR to the upcoming Supreme Court decision that may overturn Roe v. Wade. We hope her thoughts will prompt prayer and self-examination, and inspire us to be godly, wise, and honorable in our interactions with those who may disagree with our convictions.

Find this month’s free Write the WORD and ‘Do It!’ List downloads HERE, and plan to join us in June as we read, write, and study Bible verses that include the word HONOR.

We read King Hezekiah’s story in chapters 18–20 of II Kings. His life included some good choices and some not-so-good; that unvarnished reality simply accentuates the Bible’s credibility, and reassures us of the truth of Scripture. It inspires hope for our own lives.

Hezekiah’s prayer is recorded in II Kings 19:14-19:

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it.
Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and
spread it out before the LORD.

And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “LORD, the God of Israel,
enthroned between the cherubim,
you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made heaven and earth.

Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see;
listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste
these nations and their lands.

They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them,
for they were not gods but only wood and stone,
fashioned by human hands.

Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand,
so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone, LORD, are God.”

King Hezekiah receives a threatening message from Sennacherib, the King of Assyria. Up to that point, Hezekiah had made some poor choices, but on this day, he chooses to turn back to God. Clutching the frightening letter, he hurries to the temple and spreads it out before the Lord.

I love that visual. I love the example Hezekiah sets for us. We, too, can spread out the papers (or the piles) that threaten us before the Lord. Following Hezekiah’s lead, I have spread out before the Lord:

• To-do lists
• Piles on my counter
• Tax returns
• Writing projects
• Speaking outlines

Praying over practical challenges reminds us that our great God is not just the God of up there, but very much the God of down here, too.

What papers and piles need some divine direction in your life? Why not try spreading them out before the Lord, and praying over the challenge?

Hezekiah begins his prayer by praising God for who He is. He takes time to “tattle” on Assyria. He wraps up his prayer by clearly stating his request: deliver us from his hand.

And then comes a phrase I love to find in Scripture: so that. I love seeing a reason behind a command or a request. (Maybe it’s human nature for all of us … how many times have we mamas heard even a two-year-old ask, “Why?”)

Hezekiah doesn’t just ask for deliverance; he wants God to be glorified in the answer! He prays:

Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand,
so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone, LORD, are God.

I like to call this “praying BIG!” When we pray that God will be glorified, and God will get the credit, we begin to anticipate answers that may be different than what we would want or expect. Even our suffering serves a purpose: by praying BIG—praying for God to be made much of—we find that chemotherapy, a dreaded family reunion, and a flat tire can all be opportunities for gospel conversations that bring glory to God.

For whatever challenge today brings, don’t just pray … pray BIG!

I’m praying for you today, my friend, asking God to use Hezekiah’s prayer to inspire you to:

1. Spread your challenge out before the Lord.
2. Pray BIG – pray that God will answer SO THAT He is glorified in the answer!

In Friday’s devotional video, Laura asked the question: Is God trustworthy? Watch now to hear the answer, as found in the Old Testament book of Habakkuk.

It’s not too late to join us for the remaining days of May, as we focus on PRAYER. Visit our Downloads page for your copy of this month’s Write the WORD bookmark and optional S.O.A.P. Bible study pages.

Coming soon: our June Write the WORD
and ‘Do It!’ List downloads!

“The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
Exodus 15:2

The bulk of Exodus 15 is a song of praise to God by Moses and Miriam. Their delight in what God had done could not be contained. The joy in their hearts overflowed into praise on their lips. They were witnesses to an extraordinary act of God: the parting of the Red Sea and the deliverance of their people from Pharaoh’s Army.

If you’ve grown up in church, the story is most likely familiar to you. But take a moment to turn to Exodus 14. Try to place yourself in the sandals of these ancient people. They had never known anything but slavery and cruelty. They fled Egypt, following their leader Moses, and found themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place — in this case, Pharaoh’s army behind and the Red Sea in front. Do they surrender or wait to be slaughtered? Will death be painful? Will it be quick? Then, suddenly, extreme fear is transformed to extreme amazement. The sea is miraculously parted!

God made a way where there seemed no way. He rescued His people from certain death. The parting of the waters was miracle enough, but the pursuit by their enemy catapulted their praise of God to joyful gratefulness.

Surely the people would have praised God for parting the waters. But parting the waters when the enemy was on their heels propelled their praise to a new level. Perhaps we have to look behind to truly appreciate the deliverance God has provided.

Are you in a good place today? Can you count your blessings? Are you able to acknowledge God’s provision?

Egypt represented sin and the consequences sin always brings: slavery and bondage. For the Egyptians, it was physical slavery. For the follower of Christ, our life before Jesus — our “Egypt” — was spiritual bondage. The Cross of Christ represents our Red Sea parting, the place where God made a way when there was no way. Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. And, like the parting of the Red Sea, the story may lose something over the years because it is so familiar.

Please don’t let it. Take a moment to go back to your Red Sea. Think about the former you — the one on the other side of that wide river. Let your voice sing along with all of God’s people, as you allow Moses and Miriam to lead you in singing:

“The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

In honor of this month’s National Day of Prayer, we are devoting the May Write the WORD to prayer. Each day we are focusing on one prayer in the Bible, hoping to encourage all of us to PRAY.

Often when we think of prayer, we think of a prayer list of folks we will pray for: those we love, those who are sick, missionaries, our pastors and leaders. Prayer can generally be described as communication … a conversation with God. Is this conversation solely devoted to asking God for something? Should we not also be thanking Him for what He has already done?

Here’s the challenge: go to God in prayer today and just praise Him. Refrain from asking Him for anything; just praise Him for what He has already provided. You might even borrow some words from Moses and Miriam if you can’t think up adequate ones on your own.

In this week’s devotional video, Laura encourages us to consider how we react to bad news, in light of Nehemiah’s prayerful response in Nehemiah, chapter 1.

It’s not too late to join us for the rest of May, as we focus on PRAYER. Download your copy of the Write the WORD bookmark here.

“In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.”
I Samuel 1:10

Hannah wanted desperately to be a mom. Year after year she prayed, waited, and prayed some more. Her grief was great, made even more painful by the constant, cruel provocation of her husband’s second wife. But she kept praying. She kept going back to God and asking. Her prayers testify to her continued hope. And most of all, her continued prayers demonstrate her faith in God.

Hannah chose to pray through the pain.

Waiting to become a mom was painful for Hannah. Today is Mother’s Day … and all these centuries later, women are still hurting because they desperately want to have children. As we enjoy the day, let’s also be sensitive, remembering that for those who long to be moms, have lost their own mother, or have experienced the devastation of losing a child, today is a day to mourn rather than celebrate. If someone you know falls into one of those categories, take a moment to pray them through the pain.

[bctt tweet=”Hug your babies, your teens, and your grown-up kids. Hold them tight and tell them how proud you are of them. And when the days to come bring disappointment or hurt, pray through the pain.”]

But even after becoming a mom, there will be pain. Being a mom is a deep joy, but it’s also hard work and sometimes painful. It’s challenging emotionally, physically, financially, psychologically, and relationally. Our babies try our patience, make us laugh, and spur us on to be our best. They make choices different than we would like, disappoint us, make us cheer, make us cry, make us proud — oblivious all the while to the power they have over us.

In a devotional at one of my baby showers, a wise older woman shared, “You will always love your children more than you love your parents.” That statement first startled and then sobered me. Though I wanted to protest, I knew it was true, and that means our children will never truly understand the depth and breadth of our love for them until they become parents themselves.

So, Mom, enjoy your chocolate and flowers. Relish every sappy word in those beautiful greeting cards. Go out to lunch. Hug your babies, your teens, and your grown-up kids. Hold them tight and tell them how proud you are of them. And when the days to come bring disappointment or hurt, pray through the pain. Intercede for your lovelies. Ask God to allow you to know when to close your mouth and drop to your knees (or as I like to say, to “shut up and pray”).

Pray through the pain. Pray for them and with them. Then, when God provides, consider using the words of Hannah’s Prayer to praise and thank God:

My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God,
I Samuel 2:1-2

Have a blessed Mother’s Day!

In this week’s devotional video, Laura talks about lessons from Genesis 24, as Abraham’s faithful and trusted servant Eliezer is given the critical assignment of finding a wife for Abraham’s beloved son Isaac. What can we take away from this story? Watch below to find out!

To download the free Write the WORD: Prayer bookmark, visit our Downloads page.

Very early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place,
where he prayed.
Mark 1:35

If Jesus Christ our Lord, the holy and perfect son of God, made prayer a continual priority while He was in human form on this earth, then surely you and I need to do likewise.

Following the example of Jesus in this passage, we note that:

1. Prayer is a priority. Jesus did this first.
2. Jesus had to get up early to find time to pray. (And lest you think an early morning only happens with an early bedtime and calm day before, back up a few verses to read about the “day before” for Jesus.)
3. Prayer is personal. There are many examples of Jesus praying with His disciples and praying in public, but His first-prayer-of-the-morning was in private. He got off alone to avoid the distractions.

We talk about prayer. When we hear troubling news from a friend, we respond, “I’ll pray for you.” We would raise our hands and vote for prayer if there were a prayer election. But I ask you this deeply personal and soul-searching question: Do we really pray?

Is prayer a proverbial Hail Mary that we throw up as we dash from place to place? Is it a mutter under our breath … or perhaps just a good intention that never becomes reality?

In our Write the Word this month, we are doing something just a bit different in honor of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 5th, which was instituted in 1952 when President Harry Truman signed into law a joint resolution of Congress. On this day, once per year, citizens of our nation gather together and pray. This year is particularly poignant because many of us were denied the opportunity to gather on this day in 2020 and 2021.

For the follower of Christ, however, prayer should be more than an annual event. It should be a daily, continual priority. Prayer is vital for our survival.

When we are “prayed up” in advance, we have peace before the challenge. The football team really wins Friday night’s game during the grueling practice and preparation on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Likewise, as Christ-followers, we prepare best for surgery, family reunions, difficult meetings, parenting, and every other challenge life brings by praying in advance.

Oswald Chambers (one of the folks I’m most looking forward to meeting in heaven) said it well:

Prayer does not fit us for the greater works;
prayer is the greater work.

Whether prayer is already a priority for you, or you find your heart stirred to begin making it so, I pray this month’s Write the Word will inspire and equip you to learn from those whose prayers are recorded in the Bible.

Rather than only 1-2 daily verses, this month I’ve selected a daily passage that highlights a specific prayer in the Bible. After reading the passage, please choose a verse or phrase to write in your journal. Then allow it to prompt prayer to God.

I would like to invite you to post your thoughts (and your prayers) below. We would love to pray for you. And if your request is too personal for public posting, please email me directly.

Are you ready to be like Jesus –
to get up, get alone, and get praying?

In this week’s Friday devotional video, Laura took the opportunity to introduce this month’s Write the WORD topic by unpacking Mark 1:35-39, which tells about Jesus getting up early to be alone with His Father.

The May bookmark is a bit different than usual. Each day of the month will feature a different prayer found in the Bible. Rather than write the entire passage, we encourage you to read the prayer and then choose a verse (or verses) from the prayer that speaks to you, and write that in your journal. Both our Sunday Soaking posts and the Friday teaching videos will each highlight one of the prayers from the bookmark.

If you have not yet downloaded the May Write The WORD bookmark or the optional S.O.A.P. study pages, we hope you’ll visit our Downloads page and get your copy today!