I’ll never forget when I was a young missionary before my wife, Pat, and I had any children. I told a friend it felt like I was “always busy” and he replied, “Get used to it my friend. You will only become busier when you have children." At the time, I was already juggling ministry work, traveling, being a husband, and studying the Bible. I wasn’t sure how I could possibly handle anything else on my plate. How would I have time for anything? Would I have time to be a good husband, dad, and missionary? Would I have the means to provide for my family? Like many people who think about big life changes—like having children, moving to a new city, or starting a new job—I had questions, fears, and doubts.

I could have let my questions scare me. I could have let my fear overcome me. But instead, I heard God’s voice comfort me. He said, “Luis, I’ve got this covered. Trust me!” Isaiah 41:13 in the Bible says, “For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'” And He did that! At every juncture in my life, God has provided a way through. And He will do the same for you, if you trust Him and obey Him as He leads you. So, give your heart to Jesus if you haven’t already, and share this message with others in your life.                           

This is Luis Palau.

Do you have a prodigal son or daughter? Someone who has walked away from the faith, or a loved one who is living rebelliously? If so, I want to urge you to remain faithful in prayer. You see, I was a prodigal son. For many years, I lived by my own rules. I was selfish, and despite every attempt my mom and dad made, I was wrapped up in my own worldly desires. I wrote about this in my book, The Secret Life of a Fool. I was the fool.

Though it seemed I would never come around, my parents and others believed for me and remained faithful. They prayed and prayed without ceasing—even when it must have seemed as though I had gone so far. But guess what? Finally, God got ahold of my heart. And things have never been the same. My whole life and purpose changed.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Bible tells us to “Pray without ceasing." So this week, I urge you to carry on.  Pray diligently for the prodigal son or daughter in your life. Resist the urge to give up, or consider them a lost cause. Instead, trust that God’s plan and timing are perfect. And that God wants to use you.

This is Andrew Palau.

A few years ago, I was holding a large evangelistic festival in Arkansas with my friend TobyMac. Laura brought her young sons and some of their friends because they were so excited to see TobyMac perform. Laura was looking forward to seeing God work and change people’s lives. She was already praying for those who would make a decision for Christ.

Near the end of the night, Laura listened to the Gospel message that she had heard so many times before. Her 8-year-old son Tucker was sitting with her, listening very closely. After I finished praying the sinner’s prayer with the crowd, I asked those who had just made a decision to follow Christ to raise their hands. Tucker’s hand slowly went up.

Tears filled Laura’s eyes, as she realized her little boy had just given his heart to Jesus. He had made the decision on his own. Now she knew she would spend eternity with her son, as part of God’s family. It was one of the best moments of Laura’s life … and Tucker’s too!

Jesus said, “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Children can understand the power of the Gospel, and nothing gives their parents more joy than knowing they are now part of God’s family. Pray for your children to know the love of Christ, and rejoice when they receive Jesus as their Savior.  

This is Luis Palau.

Years ago, I had a big evangelistic campaign in London, and the famous British singer, Cliff Richard was one of the people there with me. Judith believed there is a God, but she wasn’t sure about Jesus. She WAS a big fan of Cliff Richard, though, so she decided to come to the event. Judith was also very anxious. She had just been diagnosed with cancer, and she had two young daughters that she was afraid she would not see grow up.

That night she heard a message about how Jesus loved her and if she accepted Him, He would be with her forever, even after death. She received Jesus right then. Her life didn’t instantly get better. Her cancer did not go away, but she definitely felt God’s comforting arms around her during her battle with cancer.Judith asked God to give her ten more years to see her daughters become teenagers. The Lord blessed her beyond those ten years, and she saw her children marry and have children of their own.

Jesus doesn’t promise that the road will be easy. In fact, He says that we will share in His sufferings, but also that He, the God of all comfort, will comfort us in those sufferings. Judith also got the chance to comfort her children with God’s love as they grew. What a change the love of God can make in the lives of his children, if they only let Him!

This is Luis Palau.

Gloria was a committed follower of Jesus, but every time she talked about her faith with her mother, her mother would reject it. Gloria’s complete trust in God made her mother feel defensive and angry. For thirteen years Gloria prayed for her mother to accept Christ, but Gloria’s relationship with Jesus only made her relationship with her mother more difficult.

Then Gloria heard I would be speaking in the all-Spanish service at her church in Illinois. She was sure her mother would not want to come, but she asked anyway. To Gloria’s amazement, her mother said yes, she would come!Gloria prayed through the whole service that the Lord would open the eyes of her mother. And when I asked who had committed their lives to Jesus for the first time, Gloria was overjoyed to see her mother raise her hand. At 69 years old, her mother had received Jesus into her life.

Soon after, Gloria’s mom had breakfast with her, and they read the Gospel of John together. John’s Gospel says, “But to all who did receive Jesus, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Finally, both Gloria and her mother were children of God.

What a story of persistence and prayer! If you are waiting for someone you love to become a child of God, keep praying and don’t give up — even for thirteen years!                       

This is Luis Palau.

A number of years ago, I was invited to speak in the country of Colombia, in the city of Medellin. I had been told by leaders in the city that fewer than 500 people in the whole city were Christians, so not to expect too much. Instead, thousands of people came to hear the gospel including one woman who was very depressed and hopeless because a younger sibling of hers had recently died. This woman had heard me on the radio, and asked her older brother to take her to the festival. At the festival, God spoke to her heart, and she and her brother both accepted Christ into their lives.

I heard later that over the next few years more than 40 members of this woman’s extended family came to know Jesus Christ, and many of them became pastors and leaders in their church communities. Now, hundreds of children and grandchildren know Jesus all because one brother and sister, grieving the loss of their sibling, came to hear the good news.

When families are broken or lost, Jesus is the answer. He will welcome you into the family of God. He says you are no longer a stranger or foreigner, you are part of a family that lasts forever.

If your whole family knows Christ, encourage others you know to join the family. If not, keep praying! God can do mighty things through the power of a family!

This is Luis Palau.

In my life I’ve found that stressful situations tend to highlight the strength of a relationship. Think about this…when we experience stress or tragedy, a couple of things tend to happen. Sometimes we turn against each other. But other times stressful situations can bring us closer to one another.

Several years ago my family was flying into Jamaica to visit my wife’s family when our plane crashed upon landing.  While the situation was tense, scary, and stressful, our united faith ended up bringing us close together than ever before.

The Bible is clear that our enemy, Satan, comes to destroy and his greatest tool to do that is to divide us and isolate us from one another. And a lot of times, he is successful at doing so. Think of situations in your life when stress or pressure has caused you to be hostile towards someone you love. But when we’re rooted firmly in Jesus, we can face stress and adversity as a united front with other believers in our life and it draws us together. In your face, Satan!

The Bible commands us in 1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” This week, I encourage you to consider how you respond in stressful situations. Seek God’s peace and comfort, so that in any tense moment, you can be united—rather than divided—with the people in your life.

This is Andrew Palau.

I’ve found that when we’re hurting, we often isolate ourselves. A friend of mine recently fell, causing some injuries. Though he was in pain, he didn’t want any visitors to see him in a vulnerable state. This is a normal trait of humans, to isolate ourselves when we’re hurting or struggling. But God didn’t intend for us to go through life on our own. He created us for community.The Bible tells us in Psalm 133:1 that it is “good and pleasant when God’s people live together in unity.” The Bible talks a lot about community. When we surround ourselves with other believers who share our faith, we suddenly have a team of allies ready to speak truth into our lives.

When we’re hurt, we’re often more vulnerable to lies the enemy tells. But when we have community around us speaking the Truth, God’s wisdom becomes clear.

If you’re hurt, in pain, or going through a significant trial, I encourage you to get involved in a group – in a community of Christians. It could be a church community, or just meeting up with a brother or sister in Christ. Be open, be vulnerable, be truthful, and trust that God has placed people in your life for a reason. We not only desperately need God in our lives, but we also need each other, because that’s God’ plan.

This is Luis Palau.

You know, sometimes I think we, as humans, overcomplicate things. We try to take shortcuts but end up getting lost. We get caught up in caring about the small details, instead of the big picture. Often, over-complication rears its head when it comes to forgiveness… When somebody wrongs us, we get fixated on the hurt they caused. We obsess over our pain. And we never forgive because we just don’t feel like it.

But the Bible says that the formula for forgiveness is pretty clear, and pretty simple. Luke 6:37 says, “Do not judged, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

So, who in your life do you need to forgive? What are you waiting for? I can promise you that if you are waiting for a person who wronged you to say “sorry,” it may never come. If you’re waiting until you feel up to it, forgiveness may never happen. But if you’re ready to follow God’s formula, then I encourage you to forgive today.  Allow God to set you free from an unforgiving heart.  “Forgive and you will be forgiven.”

This is Luis Palau.

In the book of John in the Bible, chapter 14, verse 1, Jesus tells His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God; trust also in me.” But sometimes, trusting Jesus can be easier said than done. Often, I see Christians who know the truth still fail to put their trust in Jesus in everyday situations. This is never more evident than when someone is stressed. They might say, “I have so much work to do. I don’t know how I’m going to get through this.” Or “I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel… I’m stressed out.” But too often, what they’re really saying is, “I don’t trust Jesus to take care of this.” We’ve all been in this spot before, and it can be an easy place to get stuck in.

I remember to trust in God by considering how BIG He really is. He created the entire universe in an instant. He built the earth and all of its creatures, including us, in six days. Surely, Jesus can take care of the problems I face.

This week, consider really trusting Jesus. Give Him your worries and troubles of today. Trust Him to work things out. And share about your faith in Him with people in your life. The Lord will use you in a big way.                         

This is Luis Palau.