Are you struggling in your marriage? There is hope!

One of the rulers of the synagogue whose name was Jairus fell at the feet of Jesus and said, “Please come to my daughter who is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she will be healed and live” (Luke 8:40-56; Mark 5:35-43, NIV).

The twelve year old girl was not able to come to Jesus, she was too sick. So her father went on her behalf. He brought Jesus to her.

When Jesus, Peter, John and James neared the house, there was loud weeping and wailing. The little girl had died. The situation looked hopeless to all but Jesus. He walked up to the girl’s bed, grasped her hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” Instantly her spirit returned and she stood up and walked around. Then Jesus told her parents to give her something to eat.

Some of our children and friends are like that little girl. They cannot come to Jesus on their own. Maybe they are too hurt, too mired in false doctrine and unbelief. They are spiritually dead.

That’s where our prayers come in–we can bring Jesus to them. He understands the problem completely and he’s the one who can help them. He can open blind eyes and deaf ears. He can cause the spiritually dead to come to new life. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, NIV).

So, let’s keep praying for them. Let’s keep bringing Jesus to them.

Dear Jesus, I pray that you will come to …………………….  (include name) in a very personal and profound way so that he/she will know that you are real and that you care. May they come to new life in Christ.  Amen.

Questions: Has there been a situation in your life where you were too weak to go to God on your own but someone went for you and God heard that prayer? Can you tell us about it? What lesson can we learn from Jairus?

Then Jesus returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” He said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Mark 14:32-42).

Jesus must have felt desperately lonely and in need of loyal friends, the night he led his eleven disciples into the Garden of Gethsemane. He separated Peter, James and John apart from the rest, and took them a little deeper into the garden. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

Then he went a short distance further, fell to the ground, and prayed, “Father take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).  When He returned to his three trusted disciples He found them asleep. Can you detect the note of disappointment in His voice as He said, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?”

This scene repeated itself three times. In his most desperate hour, Jesus was alone. Even His most devoted disciples and best friends could not share His time of anguish with him.

In our lives, also, there will be times when human friends will disappoint us. If we’ve been looking to them to meet our needs, we’ll be bitterly disappointed. But that is just the point. We are to look to God to meet our needs Who will never fail us. Jesus was not left without comfort. “An angel from heaven appeared to Jesus and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43).

Despite Peter’s failure to support Jesus during His darkest hour, Jesus expressed His love for him. “I know how it is: ‘the spirit is willing, but the body is weak’”, He said to Peter (Mark 14:38).

Jesus loved even the people who disappointed Him. He loves real people, not ideal people. And I’m very glad about this.

Dear God, I want to love as Jesus loves. He loves us with all our imperfections. Help me to love my friends like He does. Amen

Questions: What are some ways we can show people that we love them? How have others demonstrated Christ’s love to you in time of need?

About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid

Are you lonely in your relationship? Talk to us.

You’ve gotta laugh, right? I did. Perhaps because there have been times I have been just like the sons of Zebedee.  I’ve looked to Heaven, hands clasped tightly and honestly said “Lord, I’ve been good. I have served You.  I have tithed. I have prayed for others and read my Bible. Now – when will you give me my desires. What will it take?”   But over the years, I have learned that God’s blessings are not based on merit. Otherwise, how would any of us ever be worthy enough?

There was a story I once heard:

A man was dying and he and St. Peter had a talk.  St. Peter said, “In order to come in through these Pearly Gates you need 100 points.”

The man said, “Okay. I taught Sunday school to the youth for 25 years.”

St. Peter said, “Good. One point.”

The man looked perplexed. “And, I spent one Saturday a month helping in the soup  kitchen,  and  I went on a mission trip to Mexico for two weeks, three years in a row.”

“Very good. Two more points.”

“I read my Bible every day.” The man added, sure that would up his score a bunch. But again, it was only one point.  In desperation he said, “How does anyone get in here, for Christ’s sake?”

St. Peter smiled, put down his pen and said, “Exactly.”

We don’t really understand what we ask, because our view of what we think we need is so limited compared to the loving God who sees past, present and future. The sons of Zebedee wanted the glory, thinking they had earned it. They didn’t understand the sacrifice Jesus was about to make, or that through that sacrifice, all would have the opportunity to be with Him in Heaven soon enough.  They didn’t grasp that they could never on their own merit earn entrance into the Kingdom, but that soon, this Jesus they had followed would earn it for them by His death.

James 4:3 says it is a nutshell: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  Yes, in the Book of John, Jesus promised if we ask it will be granted to us, but only if we ask it in His name, which means the way He would ask.  We know how Jesus asked. Scriptures says so: “Thy will be done.”

It is better to ask “Lord, what can I do for You?”, instead of  “God, what can you do for me?”, knowing and trusting in faith that He will provide what is best for each of us.  That’s one lesson I am still learning.

Question: What is the motive for most of your prayers?

About the Author Julie Cosgrove

Has your world shattered and left you with no hope for your marriage? Talk to us.

The twelve year old girl was not able to come to Jesus, she was too sick. So her father went on her behalf. He brought Jesus to her.

When Jesus, Peter, John and James neared the house, there was loud weeping and wailing. The little girl had died. The situation looked hopeless to all but Jesus. He walked up to the girl’s bed, grasped her hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” Instantly her spirit returned and she stood up and walked around. Then Jesus told her parents to give her something to eat.

Some of our children and friends are like that little girl. They cannot come to Jesus on their own. Maybe they are too hurt, too mired in false doctrine and unbelief. They are spiritually dead.

That’s where our prayers come in–we can bring Jesus to them. He understands the problem completely and he’s the one who can help them. He can open blind eyes and deaf ears. He can cause the spiritually dead to come to new life. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, NIV).

So, let’s keep praying for them. Let’s keep bringing Jesus to them.

Dear Jesus, I pray that you will come to …………………….  (include name) in a very personal and profound way so that he/she will know that you are real and that you care. May they come to new life in Christ.  Amen.

Questions: Has there been a situation in your life where you were too weak to go to God on your own but someone went for you and God heard that prayer? Can you tell us about it? What lesson can we learn from Jairus?

About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid

Have you ever stopped to realize how many of God’s special people had lowly backgrounds?  Consider the following:
Joseph was a slave and prisoner.
Moses and David were shepherds.
Esther and Daniel were displaced persons of a despised race.
Joseph was a carpenter, and Mary a small-town girl.
Simeon and Anna were little-known prophets.
Peter, James, and John were fishermen.
Dorcas was a seamstress.

Because these people put God first in their lives, consider how God raised them up and used them:
Joseph became second to the Pharoah in ruling Egypt (Genesis 41:40-41).
Moses and David became rulers of Israel (Exodus 3:9-11; 1 Samuel 16:1, 11-13).
Daniel became prime minister of Babylon (Daniel 2:47-49).
Esther became queen of Persia and saved God’s people from extermination (Esther 8).
Joseph the carpenter was chosen to be the “stepfather” of the Son of God;     Mary was His mother (Luke 1:26-35).

Simeon and Anna were used of God to prophesy over the baby Jesus and proclaim who He was and what He came to earth to do (Luke 2:25-38).

Peter, James, and John became Jesus’ foremost disciples and intimate friends.  Peter and John wrote books of the Bible by inspiration of God (Matthew 17:1-3).

Dorcas was raised from the dead; many came to Christ because of this (Acts 9:36-42).

And then there was Jesus.  Although He was the Son of God, He was born in the lowliest of circumstances, in a manger, to a couple with little money.  There was neither fine hospital nor worldly acclaim such as given when a prince is born in England.  Only humble shepherds knelt by His manger to give Him homage.

Philippians 2:5-7 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

When God came as a man, He lived in no great palace as other kings do.  Instead, He said the foxes have holes and the birds nests, but He had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

Then He gave Himself into the hands of His enemies to be viciously lashed, mocked, and spit upon.  He let them nail Him on a cross.  He, the Almighty God (Isaiah 9:6), humbly allowed this because He loved us and came to save us.

He is coming again to earth–as King of kings and Lord of lords.  And those who have humbly followed in His footsteps shall reign with Him!

Fill my heart with humble gratitude today, Lord. Thank you that You use the ordinary and the un-spectacular. Fill me with Your amazing Holy Spirit today and use me to accomplish Your will. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.

Questions: Why do you suppose God used so many “lowly” people to help fulfill his wishes here on earth?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: Hear today’s daily devotional, God’s Lowly People, read aloud on the Men’s Devotional Blog