Prayer should be your highest priority. Why? Because when you fail to pray, you set yourself up to fail. You’re saying in essence, ‘I don’t need God’s help or input.’ God comes by invitation. Prayer opens the door and welcomes Him into your situation. Jesus said, ‘Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’ An unknown poet wrote: ‘I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day. I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t have time to pray. Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task. “Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered. He answered, “You didn’t ask.” I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, grey and bleak. I wondered why God didn’t show me. He said, “But you didn’t seek.” I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock. God gently and lovingly chided, “My child, you didn’t knock.” I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day. I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray!’ The psalmist said, ‘O God…early will I seek thee’ (Psalm 63:1 KJV). The first voice he wanted to hear in the morning was God’s. The first conversation he wanted to have – was with the Lord. Before others made demands on his time and energy, he wanted to know God’s will. Has your prayer life been hit-and-miss? Rearrange things and make it your first priority each day. If you do, you’ll begin to thrive spiritually.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Studies suggest that just 3 per cent of life events are highly memorable. So, over the course of an average year, approximately seventeen experiences will make it into your long-term memory. The other 97 per cent fades into the black hole called the subconscious. But that remaining 3 per cent can hurt us every day if we cannot or will not forget. That 3 per cent can make us prisoners of our past. Even if we’ve confessed our sin, we often still feel condemned. And that feeling of condemnation undermines the fact that God is for us (see Psalm 56:9). We keep beating ourselves up. We keep sabotaging ourselves. We keep believing the self-defeating lies that come from Satan ‘the accuser’ (see Revelation 12:10). And how can you overcome the accuser and silence him? Revelation 12:11 says: ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony’ (NKJV). Push back! Testify to Satan the accuser. Tell him what the blood of Jesus Christ has done on your behalf. Remind him that ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1 KJV). None. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Not a trace. Not a whiff. Not a hint. Instead of defining yourself by what you’ve done wrong, define yourself by what Christ has done right on your behalf. Instead of defining yourself by the hurtful things done to you, begin to declare what Christ has done for you. If you are in Christ, you are not in sin. If you have been forgiven, you are no longer guilty.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Have you ever watched a hamster running on a wheel? The hamster looks outside his glass cage and sees freedom, so he decides to make a run for it. But after a while, he realises that he is not getting anywhere, so he runs faster. He runs until he is exhausted and can run no more. Can you identify with the hamster? You have been trying for years to break a habit, yet today you’re still in the same place, or worse. You have made New Year’s resolutions to give up your bad habits or have a better marriage or work on getting fit or improving your finances. Yet, you’re still in the same position. Why? Because you’re using the wrong method! You cannot change yourself. The only way for a hamster to find freedom is if his owner reaches down inside the cage and lifts him out. He needs somebody bigger than himself, with greater power. David said: ‘I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD. Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD’ (vv. 1-4 NLT). The way to get off the treadmill is to cry out to God, and He will set you free.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

In some of the world’s greatest success stories, you will find chapters of failure and discouragement. Dr Seuss’s first children’s book was turned down by twenty-seven different publishers. The twenty-eighth publisher sold six hundred million copies, and Dr Seuss’s perseverance resulted in helping millions of children learn to read. In their first year of business, the Coca-Cola company usually sold only nine servings of its drink a day. But they persevered, and today they are the leading soft drink seller in the world. Henry Ford went bankrupt twice in his initial three years in the car industry. But he persevered, and today Ford is the second-largest American-based motor company and the fifth biggest worldwide. In 1905 the University of Bern in Switzerland rejected a PhD dissertation by a student named Albert Einstein, describing it as ‘irrelevant and fanciful’. Was he disappointed? Of course – wouldn’t you be? Did he give up? No, he kept on writing. And consider this: as a redeemed child of God, you have a plus factor; God is on your side. ‘God is for me’ (Psalm 56:9 NKJV). That changes the equation and tilts the odds in your favour. Paul writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8:35, 37 NKJV). With God, despite whatever you’re facing, it’s always too early to give up. Hold on because His grace and strength are always on their way.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

When it comes to your life’s calling, here are two more myths that can sabotage you: 1) Making the wrong choice can somehow thwart God’s will. You don’t have to worry on this score because the Bible tells us that the God ‘Who is calling you…will…[fulfil His call by hallowing and keeping you].’ It’s always commendable to want to make the best choice you can. But the fact remains that at some point you have to go ahead and make a choice, and no choice you make is outside of God’s control. Even if you don’t know where the path you have chosen will eventually lead, you can rest assured in the knowledge that ‘all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to…those who…are called according to [His] design and purpose’ (Romans 8:28 AMPC). 2) Your calling is settled. Finding your calling isn’t necessarily what you do once or twice in a lifetime. It’s not something you check off a list and move on. The life of a Christian is a continual process of discovering your calling. And because God has called you to a specific purpose at a specific time doesn’t mean His plans for you won’t change. Who knows what the next stage of your life will bring? Everyone’s calling is going to look distinct, and every chapter of your life will bring a fresh process of discernment. The important thing to remember is that God is in control, He loves you, and His will is always to draw you closer to Him.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

If you’re questioning your calling, author Diane Paddison identifies two thought patterns that may be sabotaging your thinking. 1) It’s all about you. Your calling isn’t about self-fulfilment; it’s about submission to God’s will for your life. Many people experience satisfaction from exercising their God-given gifts. But it’s a result of being in God’s will, not the goal. To discern God’s will, you must develop your relationship with Him through prayer and Bible study. You must also develop relationships with peers and mentors who will pray for you and speak truth into your life. 2) If it’s uncomfortable, it can’t be your calling. Knowing what you’re meant to be doing is often just the start of a long, demanding journey. Some of the most successful people in history endured overwhelming failure in pursuit of their paths. Moses’ calling didn’t seem all that wonderful to him. His response? ‘Who am I that I should go?’ He questioned God, but God responded, ‘I will be with you.’ Still, Moses continued to question: ‘But what if they don’t believe me?’ Even when God provided him with miraculous signs, they weren’t enough. He came back with, ‘But I’m slow of speech.’ Clearly Moses was called to a task God designed for him – and it didn’t feel good to him. Moses tried every way he knew to prove to God that He had the wrong man for the job. And when that didn’t work, he asked God to send someone else! (See Exodus 4.) Can you relate? If so, keep this thought in mind: discomfort doesn’t automatically mean you’re on the wrong path. The truth is discomfort usually precedes growth.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Dr Ernest Sachs wanted to make a difference in the world. And he did. Years ago most brain tumours were fatal. Sachs heard a surgeon predict that someday a cure would be discovered that could save all those lives, and he determined to be that surgeon. At the time, the leading expert on the anatomy of the brain was Sir Victor Horsley. Sachs received permission to study under him but felt he should prepare for the experience by studying for six months under some of the most able physicians in Germany. Then he went to England, where for two years he assisted Dr Horsley in long and intricate experiments on dozens of monkeys. When Sachs returned to America, he was ridiculed by the medical establishment for requesting the opportunity to treat brain tumours. For years he fought obstacles and discouragement, driven by a desire to succeed in his quest. And succeed he did! Today, largely thanks to Dr Sachs, the majority of brain tumours can be cured. And his book Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Tumours is considered the standard authority on the subject. Just because something isn’t presently done doesn’t mean it can’t be done. And maybe you are the one to do it! And as a redeemed child of God, think of the advantage you have: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV). Use your faith, and believe God for great things.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Arriving at church one Christmas morning, a pastor paused to admire the nativity scene. The figures, lovingly crafted, sat on a small stage…shepherds…wise men…animals…and in the centre, the Holy Family. Then he noticed the manger was empty; the baby Jesus was missing! After searching the church he called the associate pastor and the elders, but they knew nothing. The baby had obviously been stolen. Solemnly he reported the theft to his congregation, disappointed to think one of them might be involved. ‘If the baby is returned by the end of the day there’ll be no questions asked,’ he said. But the manger remained empty all day, and that afternoon, heavy-hearted and discouraged, the pastor took a walk through the wintry streets. Ahead he noticed six-year-old Tommy, bundled up against the cold, proudly dragging a bright red wagon. Knowing Tommy’s family struggled financially, the pastor was touched by their sacrifice and sped up so he could wish Tommy a merry Christmas and admire his shiny new wagon. As he approached, however, he noticed the wagon wasn’t empty – inside, wrapped and blanketed against the cold, lay the baby Jesus! Solemnly the pastor crouched down beside Tommy. He was just a little boy, but old enough to know that stealing was wrong. The pastor made this crystal clear as the child listened; his eyes filled with what the pastor assumed were penitent tears. ‘But pastor,’ the little boy replied, ‘I didn’t steal Jesus. It wasn’t like that at all. I’ve been asking Him for a red wagon for Christmas for ages – and I promised if I got one, I’d take Him on the first ride.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Here’s a great story from Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. It’s about a recovering alcoholic called Jim. It was his first Christmas alone, and when a young family sat down beside him in the pew he couldn’t handle it. As he was leaving the church he met Pastor Thomas Tedwell, who asked where he was going. ‘Out for a drink,’ he replied. Tedwell said, ‘You can’t. Where’s your sponsor?’ ‘On vacation,’ replied Jim. ‘I came here tonight looking for a word of hope and ended up sitting beside this happy family. And if I had my life together, I’d be here with mine.’ As the pastor walked to the pulpit he prayed, ‘God, give me a word of hope for Jim.’ Then after welcoming the congregation, he said, ‘I’ve an unusual request. If anyone here is a friend of Bill W.’s, and if you are – you’ll know it – please meet me in the vestry.’ (Bill Wilson, better known as Bill W., cofounded Alcoholics Anonymous). Immediately people from all over the church began to respond. As Dr Tedwell observed, ‘While I was busy preaching about the Incarnation, the Word was becoming flesh before my eyes!’ This Christmas some of the people around you are hurting; they’ve lost hope. So, ‘Let the word become flesh.’ Lift the fallen, encourage the despairing, and minister to the sick, the lonely, and the forgotten. Jesus said, ‘When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:40 TLB). Instead of keeping to yourself this year, reach out to someone. Go ahead – it’ll be your best Christmas ever!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

For many years Dr Donald Grey Barnhouse pastored Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church. One Sunday morning a twelve-year-old boy in the balcony was transfixed after hearing him speak about the length and breadth and depth of God’s amazing grace. Barnhouse closed his sermon by summarising many of the great promises from Scripture in one impressive sentence: ‘Our sins are forgiven, forgotten, cleansed, pardoned…covered…blotted out as a thick cloud, removed as far as the east is from the west…cast behind God’s back.’ At the end of the service when Barnhouse went to the back to greet people, the boy approached him, tugged at his sleeve, and said, ‘Good sermon, Doc! We’re sure sittin’ pretty, aren’t we?’ That glorious phrase ‘in Christ’ speaks to the redemptive miracle God performed for us through his Son (see Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:6-13). The word ‘in’ assures us that just as our natural birth positioned us in Adam, our forefather, at the new birth God deliberately and precisely positions us in Jesus, our Redeemer. Think about it: ‘God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 2:4-6 NKJV). Note that we’re seated together in heavenly places in Christ, not beside Him. And it gets even better! We’re seated there so closely identified with Jesus that we’re inseparably and eternally one with Him! Now if that’s not sitting pretty, tell us what is!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.