Cross My Heart Ministry

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart,
with all your soul, and
with all your mind.’
Matthew 22:37

 All means ALL!

When we pray that the children in our lives would love God wholeheartedly, it means ALL IN. Not half-way, not half-heartedly, and not Sundays only.

When a mama asks her teenager to take out the trash, she doesn’t expect to see the trash sitting by the front door. It must make it all the way to the curb.

When a wife wants a faithful husband, she doesn’t mean 364 days a year – she expects 365 (and some years 366)!

And when God commands us to love Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we need to apply the same high standard. ALL IN!

As we pray for the children in our sphere of influence to love God wholeheartedly, we can also ask God to reveal where we ourselves might be holding out.

Here are some questions we can ask as we pray for the children in our lives (and for ourselves):

• Do I have a divided heart? Is there anything I treasure more than God?
• Do I find myself praying without ceasing – having on ongoing conversation with God throughout my day?
• Does God enter my thought life on Tuesday morning or Friday afternoon?
• Do I ask God about what I buy, read, and watch?
• Has Sunday morning worship become an optional activity? Am I finding reasons — I don’t feel like braving the rain, there’s a mountain of dirty laundry, I’m in the middle of a great book and can’t wait to finish it — not to gather with other believers?
• Do I give God the first and best of each day?
• Do I speak up when others speak poorly of my God?
• Do my posts, tweets, and social media comments indict me as a woman of God?
• Do thoughts about God in my mind and heart make their way into my conversations with others?

I hope one or more of these questions convict you as they do me. Perhaps they could even prompt a loving-God-wholeheartedly conversation with your child, grandchild, nephew or niece, a student in your class or church, or a young person in your neighborhood.

Lord God, I pray this child would put You on the throne of his/her life each day and every day. I pray this would be deliberate, conscious, daily choice.  I pray he/she would love You most and best and with a wholehearted devotion.

Our Write the WORD verses for the month of October all include the word, WALK. Spanning both the Old and New Testaments, these verses will challenge us to consider our spiritual walk with Christ.

In this week’s Friday devotional video, Laura reflected on our spiritual WALK … our journey of sanctification. We invite you to listen as Laura introduces the coming month’s topic. Then, visit our Downloads page for your own copy of the October Write the WORD bookmark.

“…and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.”
II Timothy 3:15

Paul is writing to Timothy, his spiritual son. (He refers to him in I Timothy 1:2 as “my true son in the faith.”) Thanks to the faith of his mother and grandmother, Timothy knew about God and knew the Scriptures from an early age.

But, of course, God has no grandchildren. At some point, Timothy believed for himself (II Timothy 1:5). He accepted the gift of salvation that comes by grace through faith.

Like Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s mother and grandmother, we can ensure the young people around us know the WORD. We can take them to church to hear the WORD. We can play Christian music and buy them Christian books. But, of course, none of that will save them. They must come to sincere faith in Christ on their own.

We can do everything within our power to make sure the children in our lives know the truth—and then they must choose to bend their knee to Jesus.

Perhaps you are a woman who did not come to faith yourself until your adult years. Maybe you have adult children that have rejected your faith. Do not let the enemy rob you of peace and joy for today. Do not take on illegitimate guilt. The past is done … confess anything you need to confess, receive His forgiveness (I John 1:9) and then move on! Forgive yourself, sister friend!

Choose today to pray. Pray intentionally and unceasingly for the “children” in your sphere of influence, whether they are infants, young kids, adolescents, or adults. If there is life, there is hope. Pray and keep on praying!

Lord God Almighty, thank You for the gift of salvation! Jesus, thank You for the magnitude of Your great love demonstrated at the Cross and the unmatched strength of Your mighty power demonstrated by Your resurrection. O God, thank You for loving me enough to die for me. Let this young person in my life see that you love her and died for her, too. Convict her of sin. Draw her to yourself. Overwhelm her today with Your great love. Let today be her day of salvation!

In this week’s Friday video, our ladies’ Bible study comes to the second chapter of Esther. In it, we see a beauty pageant (of sorts). But in this pageant, the contestants have no choice.

While we tend to romanticize the story of Esther, its actually a tragic display of a lustful king preying on young girls.

In Laura’s teaching lecture, we see Esther crowned queen … but celebrate the crown of life promised to those of us who love God (see James 1:12).

As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

The expression “peer pressure” certainly carries a negative connotation. Secular and non-secular studies alike have confirmed the impact (particularly during adolescence) of peers. Teenagers, when influenced by their friends, are far more vulnerable to substance abuse, reckless or anti-social behavior, bullying, and a host of other things that are potentially life-altering.  

As conscientious Christian parents and grandparents, we may try to postpone the timing of those influences … but please don’t ever assume you can avoid them altogether. And please don’t assume that another teen is godly, simply because he or she was raised in a godly family (to the best of your knowledge).  

When children are young, the adults in their lives control their relationships. We choose who they play with, what they do, and where they go. And to a certain extent—especially when the adults are very engaged with the kids—that can continue into adolescence.

But at some point, we need to hand them the reins. Only parents can decide when is the right time for that to happen. It will be a decision not only unique to each family, but perhaps to each child.  

If we are devoted to teaching and training their hearts, our focus will be to prepare them to make good choices for themselves and help them understand how they can do that. It’s easy to build high walls and keep them in place until a child turns 18 … but what happens then?  

As a mother of four adults, I’m a long-time advocate of communication early on. Ask your children and grandchildren what makes a good friend. Role play with questions like, “What would you do if ___?” Using “worst case scenario” tools, empower them for as many situations as you can imagine. Explain some of your own poor choices (or those you have witnessed in others) as a warning. Pray. Talk. Share.  

We must prepare the children in our sphere of influence to make wise choices in friends. We must also challenge them to be a positive influence upon others.

Here are a few questions that come to mind for discussion with the children you love: 

1. What qualities make for a good friend? 
2. Who is your best friend and why? 
3. What would you do if a friend wanted you to watch or do something that made you feel uncomfortable? 
4. What did Joseph do when he was in an uncomfortable situation? (See Genesis 39) 
5. Did I ever tell you about the time …? 

Each passing year is one less we have to be a daily, primary influence upon these young souls that God has placed in our lives. Ultimately, we hope and pray it is the voice of the Holy Spirit they choose to heed above all. But we know that peers will also influence their lives, attitudes, and behaviors.

If they choose well, peer pressure can be a profoundly positive influence in the life of a child.  

Lord, I pray for my children and grandchildren, and for their friends.
I pray You would raise up a generation of Christ followers
who love You and love Your Word.
I pray the children in my life would choose their confidants well.
I pray You would hedge them in from the wrong friends
and steer them to those who will be a positive influence –
that they would mutually encourage each other to live for You,
always and in all ways.
May iron sharpen iron in all their relationships.
Amen.

The Old Testament book of Esther opens with a big party! King Xerxes displays all his wealth, glory, and possessions — and summons his queen, Vashti, to come and put herself on display, as well. When she refuses, the king “became furious and burned with anger.”

In this week’s devotional video, Laura talks about the contrast between guilt and shame as we look at Xerxes’ example of what NOT to do when we feel ashamed or embarrassed. We also have an overview of the twists and turns that will unfold in the book of Esther and see that what may appear to be bad news can, in time, actually become good news (and vice versa).

But in ALL of it, God can WORK for good!

“…give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:18 [NIV]

When our oldest was only one year old, after prompting by our pastor, I began to pray for a thankful heart in my child. I continued this prayer as we added each additional child. Four kids – and four grandkids! – later, I’m still praying for thankful Macfarlan hearts.

“Why thankfulness?” you may ask.

The first (or most obvious) response might be the blessing released to others. That is true. And that is important. Others are blessed when we express gratitude.

But I’m also convinced that thankfulness is a blessing to the one releasing it. Thankfulness protects against entitlement, materialism, and selfishness … all dangerous to the character of children. The 21^st-century culture of our western world makes them vulnerable to “me-ism” – I’m convinced entitlement, materialism, and selfishness are the default, but our prayers can combat these society norms. We are up against entrenched attitudes, human nature, and even commercials and advertisements. The world will corrupt and entice all of us to make it all about us.

It’s natural (and easy) to make it all about self in this world. But never underestimate the power of a praying mom – or grandmother, or aunt, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, coach, godparent, or anyone else who has influence in a young life! We can best fight the culture on our knees. And we can train up the young people we love to live selfless in a “selfie” world.

As we consider praying for thankful children, consider these prayer prompts:

• Lord, give my child a thankful heart. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
• Jesus, let my child see that every good gift comes down from above. (James 1:17)
• God, I pray my child would intentionally release thankfulness to others.
• Holy Spirit, I pray our family would be thankful in “all circumstances” – by faith, believing that You can and will work all things out for our good and for Your glory. (Romans 8:28)

As we pray, we can also put feet to our prayers by taking these practical steps to teach thankfulness to our children, grandchildren, and the other young people in our lives:

1. Do not overindulge in “stuff” but show love in creative ways. Whenever possible, give experiences and time, instead of things.
2. Choose at least one night per week to pray “Thank you” prayers. Rather than asking God for something, take turns thanking Him for what He has already done for the blessings of the day. Teach them to pray thank-you prayers for big and small things:
   “God, thank you for the tulips popping through in the flower bed and reminding us that spring is coming.”
   “Jesus, thank you for the baby growing in Aunt Denise’s tummy.”
   “Holy Spirit, thank you for our fun afternoon in the park.”
3. Train a child to respond with thankfulness:
   1. Write thank you notes together with preschoolers—allowing them to add their names to the note with your help.
   2. For elementary-aged kids, encourage them to be conscientious about writing thank you notes to their teacher, coach, and/or sponsor for their soccer team.
   3. Train teenagers to write thank you notes before cashing the check from grandma and grandpa.
4. Model thankfulness. Most character traits are more “caught than taught,” as I heard the late Dr. James Dobson say on many occasions.
   • Sit down together to write thank you notes after Christmas.
   • Let them hear you intentionally thank your pastor for his teaching on Sunday morning.
   • Thank them for big and small things when you see and hear them get it right:
     “Thank you for helping your brother.”
     “Thank you for carrying in the groceries for your grandmother.”
     “Thank you for making your bed without being asked.”
5. When dining out, ask to speak to the manager and enjoy seeing his/her face transform from dread to delight when you say, “Our family had such a great meal this evening. Thank you for the good food and excellent service.” (On the way home, explain that people always complain when someone gets it wrong, but it’s important to express our thanks when they get it right!)

The importance of thankfulness was a thread woven through the teaching of Dr. Jonathan Burnham, my wise and godly pastor in the early 1990s. Over and over again, his preaching emphasized the theme of thankfulness. Even after moving out of state, that emphasis continued to resonate in my heart and be a priority in my prayers.

All these years later, I give glory to God as I see thankfulness demonstrated in the lives of my children. The thank you notes I have received from them are treasures to keep. They are tangible reminders that, while I did many things wrong, perhaps consistent training in gratitude was one thing I did right.

Whether you are praying thankfulness into your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, students, or the kids who live across the street or sit in the pew behind you – I hope you will pray. And I hope that we can all see our society truly transformed by an “attitude of gratitude.”

This week’s devotional video features Laura’s introduction to the fall ladies’ Bible study in Esther. In the video, Laura shares a few distinctives about this Old Testament book that may prove helpful as we study through the events and circumstances in the book of Esther.

One distinctive is that all the events about God’s people take place OUTSIDE the land of Israel and in Persia (modern-day Iran). To answer the “How did that happen?’ question, the Intro teaching lecture looks at the highlights of the history of Israel, beginning with Abram, the father of the Jewish nation.

As we begin the new fall Bible study, the following verse is our prayer:

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”
Psalm 119:18

Then Jesus declared,
“I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never go hungry,
and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35 

This statement from Jesus was the first of seven “I am” declarations clearly claiming deity before a first-century Jewish crowd.  

Over 2000 years later, they still bring a powerful message to those who will listen.  

First-century folks lived on the edge of starvation. Hunger was a part of daily life. Things you or I may say casually — “I’m stuffed,” “I’ve got to cut out the carbs,” or “I’ve got to lose some weight” — were unknown phrases in first-century languages. Much of the average person’s daily existence was consumed with finding literal “daily bread” to keep living another day.  

For many of us, the challenges of our first-century counterparts are difficult to truly comprehend. Some of us may have heard stories of our country’s Great Depression, or of other nations where famine is an everyday reality. Most Americans still have never known a day with true hunger, and have only heard about this type of hardship. We’ve (thankfully!) never experienced it in our lifetimes.  

When Jesus described Himself as the “Bread of Life,” He was offering eternal life. That’s a timeless message. It is still true today. Jesus alone brings sinful humans hope for eternity. In the midst of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety, Jesus brings peace, calm, and assurance.  

Food sustains us physically, but only the “Bread of Life” sustains us eternally. We know that without our daily bread, we become weak, lack energy, and are prone to sickness. The same is true spiritually. Our Savior’s bread-of-life metaphor rings true. We come to Him for satisfaction. Our yielding to Him – calling to Him for salvation – brings peace in the midst of panic, calm in the midst of chaos.  

Do you know Him, my friend? Have you yielded to Him? Are you sure? Have you prayed with a believing heart words similar to these: 

God Almighty, if you are there, if you are listening, if you are care,
I am finally ready to cry “uncle.”
I am ready to yield my life to You.
I am a mess. I have made a mess.
All my striving has come to nothing.
My motivations are rooted in pride.
I have rebelled against You.
But today is my line in the sand.
Enough.
I’m tired of trying and weary of running.
I believe you exist.
I believe the unbelievable – that you love me and actually died for me.
You paid my bill, the debt I owe for my sin and rebellion.
Because you died for me, I want to begin now to live for you.
Help me live for you.
I’m sliding over to the passenger seat now and letting you take the wheel of my life.
Please drive.
It’s simultaneously frightening and freeing to take this step of faith and let you be in charge.
I love you, Jesus.
Today is the day.
Thank you for keeping me alive to reach this day.
Thank you for every hard thing that you have allowed into my life.
Looking back, I see now that nothing was wasted.
You used every bit of it to bring me down so I could look up to You.
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for giving me hope and a future.
Amen.  

Whether you prayed those exact words or something similar to them, whether you prayed them moments ago or years ago, you are a woman of God. You belong to Jesus and He is your Bread of Life!

Let the reality for your future on that day change how you live and respond to this day.

Let those of us who know Him as our Bread of Life continue to come to Him daily for our daily bread, our daily manna.  

Sister friends, I pray we all keep praying and stay in the Word when times are challenging. When the storm rages around us, we can know peace in the midst of it because we know Jesus.

Every September, we choose to focus on “30 Prayers & Verses for our Children” our Write the WORD topic for the upcoming month. In this week’s Friday devotional video, Laura shared thoughts on this annual tradition and also revisited Cross My Heart Ministry’s 2nd Annual Prayer Walk for our local schools. We invite you to watch now!

We hope you will download the September bookmark and not only study these prayers with us during the coming month, but use the bookmark as a guide all year long as you pray for the kids in your life!

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered,
“You are the Messiah.”
Mark 8:29

Do you agree with Peter? Do the meditations of your heart, the ruminations in your mind, and the declarations of your mouth all proclaim, “You are the Messiah!”?

Whether your translation says “Messiah” or “Christ” (the former is Hebrew and the latter, Greek), both words mean the same: “anointed one.”  

The key point is that Peter finally gets it. He declares his belief — his knowing — that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the anointed one of God.  

To be “anointed” is to have a call on your life, a purpose. Jesus was anointed to face death — to accept responsibility for the debt owed by every human being. Sin runs up a big tab. A huge debt is due. We are, individually and collectively, spiritually bankrupt. In stepping up to pay the bill, Jesus halted the penalty of death.  

He took our sin. He became our sin. He took the verdict that should be ours.

It was horrifically painful.

It demonstrated a love with no limits.

It changed everything.  

We tidy it up, in a sense, by throwing it all in one box and labeling it “sin.” But take off the lid to peek inside … and you will see the ugly, hideous, dreadful, sickening, toxic truth. 

When Jesus became sin, He became gossip, lying, and stealing. He became adultery, extortion, and gluttony. He became murder, sex-trafficking, and pornography. He became greed, selfishness, pride, and rebellion.

He took the guilt, shame, and penalty for every bit of that. No wonder the Father looked away.  

We may sanitize sin. We may rationalize and justify sin. We may think some are “biggies” and others, “not a big deal.” Did you read the list above and think some are worse than others? I don’t think God classifies sin as “felony” and “misdemeanor.” Sin is sin.  

Perhaps having a one-size-fits-all label — “sin” — makes it more palatable for polite conversation. But it’s horrific. And the price our Messiah paid to wipe each of our slates clean was His life.  

Stopping to ponder who we are, what we have done, and what we deserve should stir up profound gratitude. During these current times of conflict, upheaval, and uncertainty, this is a good time to be reminded to hold fast to what we know to be true.  

Slave-traded-turned-preacher John Newton said it well:  “I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior.” 

That’s Christianity 101. That’s the gospel in one sentence.  

We are all sinners and only Christ can save us. Hard times reveal our hearts. If you are a follower of Jesus, He has cleansed your heart from sin. Your bill has been paid. Your destiny for eternity is secure.  

Because of our identity in Christ, you and I have nothing to fear. Because we can declare with Peter, “You are the Messiah,” we can also gratefully proclaim, “He is MY MESSIAH.”  

Let that truth never grow stale. Let it bring peace to your heart that trumps panic, and faith that eclipses fear. 

Laura is joined by her friend, Vicki Gill, for this week’s Friday devotional video. We invite you to watch as they discuss one of the Names of God from this month’s bookmark: Comforter. We think you’ll enjoy hearing their thoughts on how God is always with us to comfort us when we have hard things happen.

It’s not too late to join us for the rest of this month’s study of the Names of God. A copy of our bookmark, as well as the optional S.O.A.P. Bible study pages to accompany it, can be found on the Downloads page of our website.

“Moses built an altar and called it,
‘The LORD is my banner.’”
Exodus 17:15 

Because his heart was filled with gratitude, Moses built this altar to praise God for His provision.  

We often ask God for help in the midst of the battle. These prayers are often both short and passionate—like Peter crying out, “Jesus, save me!” as he was sinking. 

We often seek His help before going into the battle, our insufficiency and uncertainty prompting us to intercede for His help. 

But the mature believer also remembers to cycle back after the battle, to acknowledge God’s provision and express gratitude for His abiding and sustaining presence.  

The battle that prompted this altar was with the Amalekites. (For all the action, back up and read Exodus 17 in its entirety). As Joshua led the Israelites in fighting the physical battle, Moses fought spiritually by lifting up his arms. Surely, this outward raising of arms reflected an inward calling out in prayer. As long as Moses hands were raised, the Israelites were victorious. When his arms were lowered, the Amalekites pulled ahead.  

When Moses grew weary, Aaron and Hur held up his arms. What a beautiful picture of community in the body of Christ! 

Who is my Aaron and my Hur? Who is yours? 

Perhaps there were other personal occasions (unrecorded in scripture) when Moses and Aaron held up Hur, and when Hur and Moses held up Aaron. 

We need each other. God designed us for relationship. We were not meant to live alone. We need Aarons and Hurs in our lives to spur us on and hold us up when we grow weary. These trusted friends help sustain us when we are tired. They keep our compass pointed in a God-ward direction. They encourage us to keep seeking God even when — especially when — the battle rages.  

When I served as a hospital chaplain I often would ask as I entered a patient’s room, “Are you a woman of faith? May I pray with you?” Even as they welcomed my prayers, often the patient would sigh and respond to my first question, “I used to be in church, but it’s been a long time since I lived that life.” 

Those responses simultaneously confused and saddened me. How could one know the love of God and the fellowship of Christian community and walk away from it? I could only conclude that while God is perfect, humans are not. We hurt and wound one another … and the fallout is often sheep leaving the safety of the fold.  

When we are tempted to walk away, a Hur and an Aaron should draw us back. When Hur and Aaron have our back, our feet stay planted on holy ground and our arms stay outstretched to God.  

But here’s the thing: you can’t wait for the battle to find Aaron and Hur. We need to cultivate those relationships now, so that we are ready when the hard things come.  

Aaron and Hur serve a powerful role in our lives. But Aaron and Hur make lousy gods. They are not God. In fact, Aaron and Hur might even let us down. Moses did not put the names of Aaron and Hur on his altar. His altar read, “The LORD is my banner.” 

Long after Moses moved on, that altar would be there — standing as a monument to His great God. Acknowledging God, bragging on God, making much of God. Perhaps as others passed by, they would be reminded to thank God for His provision in their lives or to consider calling on Him for help in the battle they faced.  

Aaron and Hur could look on that altar and rejoice with Moses. They could praise God for allowing them to be used by God, knowing their obedience and their faithfulness had helped Moses stand firm, seeking God all the way to the end of the battle.  

We need each other.

We need an Aaron and a Hur.

We need to BE an Aaron or a Hur.  

Sometimes we are Moses, fighting the battle. Sometimes we are Aaron or Hur helping Moses stay standing. That’s what Christian community is all about.

Perhaps part of what made Moses a good leader was the humility to know he needed Hur and Aaron. But most of all, he needed who we all need: God.  

Do you have a Hur and an Aaron in your life? 

Are you keeping your arms raised to God in the battle? 

Have you built an “altar” to declare, “the Lord is my banner?”

Our 21-st century altars might not be made of brick, stone, or wood. They might be prayers written in our journals or words of praise shared with those in our hearts. But the heart and mindset will be the same as they were for Moses: God gets the glory for this victory!  

In this week’s Friday devotional video, Laura is joined by her friend, Elizabeth Luethje. We invite you to listen as they discuss that God is our Shepherd. He is our provider, protector, and the One who gives us peace.

Visit our Downloads page today to find you own copy of the August Write the WORD bookmark, and join us for the rest of the month as we read, write, and study the Names of God.