Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. [Romans 12:12 (GW)]
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)]
“Let Christ be first in your thoughts in the morning and last in your thoughts at night,” were the words at the bottom of an Our Daily Bread devotion. A great way to bookend our day, it makes sense to have our first thoughts of the morning and the last at night to be of Christ. Nevertheless, I wonder about all those hours between the opening and shutting of our eyes. What should be first in our thoughts then?
I recently met a woman who said she’s been saying a short prayer before she starts any activity throughout her day, be it thanking God for the privilege of having clothes to launder, asking Him for patience while helping her son with his homework, or keeping her awake during a boring business meeting. Her prayers aren’t fancy; they are, however, heartfelt. “Help me… patience please…direct me…give me understanding…make me strong…show me how to share your love… inspire my words” and “Thank you, Jesus,” are all we need to keep Him in our thoughts all day long. One I frequently say is, “Lord, put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth!” I only wish I used that one more often.
Jesus, as we move through our day, may your Holy Spirit keep our thoughts centered on you—whether we’re in the “ten items or less” line behind someone with a cart full of groceries, on hold while trying to reach a real person at Comcast, struggling to stretch our dollars to the end of the month or sitting in the doctor’s office hearing news we never wanted to hear. Thank you for the privilege of coming to you in prayer.
I need Thee every hour, Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine Can peace afford.
I need Thee every hour, Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power When Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour, In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, Or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour, Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises In me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour, Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to Thee.
[I Need Thee Every Hour (Annie Sherwood Hawks)]
There is an old parable about a small sparrow, lying flat on his back in the middle of the road with his little feet raised in the air. An elephant comes by and asks him what he is doing. “I’m holding up the sky,” is the small bird’s response. ”Hah,” scoffs the elephant, “What good can you possibly do with those skinny weak legs?” The tiny bird replies, “Well, one does what one can. One does what one can!”
His testimony enraged the Jewish high council and he was taken from the city and stoned to death. Stephen was the first of the Christian martyrs but clearly not the last. We’ve all been horror-stricken by the recent news from Egypt where ISIS thugs attacked Coptic Christians on their way to a remote monastery. According to witnesses, the men were told their lives would be spared if they recited the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith. When they refused to do so, they were gunned down. Since December, more than 100 Coptic Christians have died in Egypt in four different attacks. On Palm Sunday, two of their churches were bombed leaving forty-four dead. It’s not easy being a Christian in Egypt.
I’m in the midst of reading a series of seven children’s fantasy novels, The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. Some of them, like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I read as a girl but others are new to me. The world of Narnia is a world to which one wants to return again and again and I’m enjoying my visit ever so much. C.S. Lewis, however, was much more than a writer of fantasy, non-fiction and poetry; he was a well-known lecturer, a brilliant scholar and a renowned Christian apologist.
