Brenda and Eddie got in the car and began their Thursday evening ritual. “Where would you like to eat?” “Oh, Eddie, I don’t care, anywhere is fine, really.” Eddie’s been here before. “Okay, how about The Windmill?” Brenda bristles, “No, anywhere but there!” Eddie sighs. “So where then?” Brenda insists, “Really, anywhere is fine.”

It’s the stuff of comedy sketches, humorous from a distance because we know how maddening it is in the moment.

Sometimes it can be that way in our prayer lives too. We’re too vague. In contrast, the prayer in Daniel 9 reveals Daniel boldly saying what he wants. First, he confesses the sins of his people: “We have sinned and done wrong” (v. 5). Then he makes his requests. “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant” (v. 17). “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act” (v. 19). God owed nothing to Daniel, but such was Daniel’s trust in God’s “great mercy” (v. 18) that he felt free to bring the full weight of his desires.

It’s always right to pray “not as I will but as you will,” as Jesus prayed to His Father the night before He was crucified (Matthew 26:39). But there are also times when saying what we want is the way forward. God honors our boldness when we come before Him with repentant hearts. So be bold, pray what’s on your heart, and entrust it to the God of great mercy.

On the frozen fields of Flanders, 1914, war’s brutality silenced hope—until a single carol broke through. On Christmas Day, enemies became brothers, sharing songs and peace in No Man’s Land. But could this fragile truce withstand the dawn? Discover the miracle of courage, faith, and the light of hope all on the next Unshackled!

One of the most challenging stages of parenting is transitioning to the empty-nest season, especially when our adult children make decisions we disagree with. Mary DeMuth guides us on this journey of finding joy regardless of our wayward adult kids, sharing practical and spiritual tips on how to stay connected with children who have left the Christian faith.

Love, Pray, Listen

7 Traits of Effective Parenting Assessment

Special Edition Morgan Weistling Print

Mary DeMuth’s Prayer Cards for Adult Children

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Weekend, please give us your feedback.

How do you help your teenager tame their anger and deal with the drama in their lives? On this Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, he’ll be joined by Dr. Jennifer Thomas to help you guide your teen through conflict. With the proper tools, teens can learn to respond to conflict and deepen their relationships instead of spiraling into isolation, anger, and broken friendships. Get some help on Building Relationships with Gary Chapman.

Featured resource: A Teen's Guide to Conflict

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Dr. Stanley leads us in examining God's covenant with Abraham.

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When Sun’s husband had a stroke, her life took a dramatic turn. She found herself having to assist her husband with daily living activities and cope with his emotional outbursts. For seventeen years, she’d faithfully cared for her husband. When a fall hastened his decline, however, the weight of caregiving finally became too much, and Sun sank into depression. She shared, “I felt I’d lost my faith, and I couldn’t see God.”

But looking back, Sun now believes that God saw her. She believes that in very real and timely ways, He soon provided subsidized home medical and nursing care to manage her husband’s chronic condition and sent social workers to support Sun in managing the emotional challenges of caregiving.

God revealed himself as the God who sees in the story of Hagar. In Genesis 16, the slave Hagar was running away from her mistress’ mistreatment (v. 6) when the angel of the Lord found her “near a spring in the desert” (v. 7). He urged Hagar to “go back to [her] mistress” (v. 9) and assured her of His blessing. Even though Hagar was a nobody in her culture, God was watching out for her well-being. In gratitude, Hagar declared: “You are the God who sees me” (v. 13).

God sees us in our distress too. We’re never alone because our loving Father knows our situation, and He’s trustworthy. We can cry out to Him for help and trust that He will lift us up.

We check the markets often—but how often do we check our hearts? Most of us approach investing with calculators, but do we also consider character? What if God wants to shape both? On the next Faith & Finance Live, Tim Macready joins Rob West to show how believers can approach investing as a spiritual practice, aligning our portfolios—and our hearts—with God’s purposes. Then it’s your calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live—biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio.  To join our team of supporters, click here.

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It’s Mailbag Friday! You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

SEGMENT 1

• Is it wrong for me to take back a gaming console I got my son as a gift? – David

• How should we feel about non-Christians singing Christian songs? – Anonymous

SEGMENT 2

• Is it sinful to pray for the chance to adopt instead of having children of my own? – Mercy

SEGMENT 3

• Is wearing makeup a sin? – Anna • How do I submit to my church when I disagree on secondary issues? – Anonymous

• How can I tell the difference between God’s discipline and ordinary hardship? – Gabe

SEGMENT 4

• Can I truly trust someone who claims Christ but has a track record of lying? – Josiah

• How can I rightly think about marriage when I didn’t see a healthy examples of it growing up? – Anonymous

___

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Christmas is a time to give. Because they have experienced the joy of God's forgiveness and healing through Jesus Christ, Carl and Cathy want to share it with those who are poor and brokenhearted.

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