His every word is a treasure of knowledge and understanding.

—Proverbs 2:6 (TLB)

It is small wonder . . . the Bible has always been the world’s best-seller! No other book can touch its profound wisdom, its poetic beauty, or the accuracy of its history and prophecy. Its critics who claimed it to be filled with forgery, fiction, and unfulfilled promises are finding that the difficulties lie with themselves, and not the Bible. Greater and more careful scholarship has shown that apparent contradictions were caused by incorrect translations, rather than divine inconsistencies. It was man and not the Bible that needed correcting. And yet—in many homes and among so-called educated people—it has become fashionable to joke about the Bible and to regard it more as a dust-catcher than as the living Word of God. . . . Too many families have used the Bible as a safe storage place for old letters and pressed flowers, and have overlooked entirely the help and assurance that God intended this Book to give them.

Prayer for the day

Almighty God, I praise You for the authority of Your Word, which speaks to me of my redemption, life as it should be lived, peace and eternal life with You.

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And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

—Matthew 21:22

Prayer is a two-way conversation; it is our talking to God, and His talking to us. As a Christian, you have a heavenly Father who hears and answers prayer. Jesus said, “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Every man or woman whose life has counted for the church and the Kingdom of God has been a person of prayer. You cannot afford to be too busy to pray. A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. Jesus Christ spent many hours in prayer. Sometimes He spent the night on a mountaintop in solitary communion with God the Father. If He felt that He had to pray, how much more do we need to pray!

Prayer for the day

There is inexpressible joy as I come to You in prayer, my heavenly Father.

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What a glorious Lord! He who daily bears our burdens also gives us our salvation.

—Psalm 68:19 (TLB)

Edward Dahlberg, the writer, observed, “At 19, I was a stranger to myself. At 40, I asked, ‘Who am I?’ At 50, I concluded I would never know.” This unexplored personal wilderness is the home of millions of people. Ninety-two percent of all Canadian university students, according to June Callwood, the Toronto sociologist, don’t really know who they are. The Bible says that man is an immortal soul. When God made man in the first place, He created him and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). One’s soul is the essence, the core, the eternal and real person. And he will be restless until he opens his life to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Prayer for the day

Almighty God, knowing I am Your child is all the assurance I need.

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You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you . . .

—Romans 8:9 (TLB)

A harnessed horse contributes much more to life than a wild donkey. Energy out of control is dangerous; energy under control is powerful. God does not discipline us to subdue us, but to condition us for a life of usefulness and blessedness. In His wisdom He knows that an uncontrolled life is an unhappy life, so He puts reins on our wayward souls that they may be directed into the “paths of righteousness.” That is what God seeks to do with us; to tame us, to bring us under proper control, to redirect our energies. He does in the spiritual realm what science does in the physical realm. Science takes a Niagara River with its violent turbulence and transforms it into electrical energy to illuminate a million homes and to turn the productive wheels of industry.

Prayer for the day

Direct all my energy, Father, so that I may be a blessing to others.

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And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward . . .

—Luke 12:42

It is not wrong for men to possess riches. But the Bible warns that money cannot buy happiness! Money cannot buy true pleasure. Money cannot buy peace of heart. And money certainly cannot buy entrance into the Kingdom of God. Often money is a hindrance to these things. Money takes our minds off God. Riches, when used selfishly rather than for the glory of God, tend to corrupt in our hands. Money cannot be a substitute for God. If God has given you more wealth than your neighbors, dedicate it to Christ. Realize that you are only a steward of that which God has given you and some day you will have to give an account of every penny you have spent. The Internal Revenue Service wants a record of how you spend your money, but that is nothing compared to the books God is keeping.

Prayer for the day

Father, I would be a faithful steward of all You have given to me. Make me constantly aware of Your leading so I may wisely spend any money with which I have been entrusted.

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The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

—James 3:17

The world, in the last few years, has reverted to a sort of barbarism. As practical Christianity has declined, rudeness and violence have increased. Neighbors quarrel with neighbors. Fighting is a major problem in our schools and the “gang wars” of the teenagers have come to present a serious menace in our cities. Fathers and mothers wrangle and bicker. Homes are disintegrating. High government officials in Washington engage in name-calling and in heated disputes not at all in keeping with the dignity of their office. Why and how has all this savagery crept into our social life? It is because we have forgotten Jesus’ words, “Happy are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” I have seen tough, rough, hardened men open their hearts by faith, receive Christ as Savior, and become gentle, patient, merciful gentlemen.

Prayer for the day

Fill me with Your mercy and love, Lord. In an angry world let me be used to bring peace where there is strife.

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God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

—John 3:17 (TLB)

You can put a public school and university in the middle of every block of every city in America—but you will never keep America from rotting morally by mere intellectual education. Education cannot be properly called education which neglects the most important parts of man’s nature. Partial education throughout the world is far worse than none at all if we educate the mind but not the soul. To think of civilizing men without converting them to Christ is about as wise as to think about transforming wolves into lambs merely by washing them and putting on them a fleece of wool. “Happy are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” The mercy the world needs is the grace, love, and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is His transforming and regenerating power that the world needs more than anything else.

Prayer for the day

Merciful Lord, may my life be filled with Your outflowing love for others.

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

—1 John 1:9

It is unfortunate in a marriage if there is an array of sordid memories of past sins on the part of either partner. If young people could only realize that a happy marriage depends not only on the present, but upon the past, they would be more reluctant to enter into loose, intimate relations with anyone and everyone. Many a marriage has been imperiled by the backlash of past sins, which were not just confessed, but “found out.”

As to the necessity of confessing past sins to one’s mate, I don’t think it is always advisable or necessary. I have known of homes that were wrecked by such confessions. The main thing is to confess any past wrongs to God, resolve to be true to your marriage vows; and absolve the black past by a spotless present.

Prayer for the day

Thank You for forgiving and forgetting the past. Help me to do the same, Lord.

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. . . set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven . . .

—Colossians 3:1 (TLB)

Have you ever been separated from someone you love? A boyfriend or girlfriend whom you have not seen in three or four months? Wait until you see each other! My wife and I have said goodbyes to each other; but when we met again, it was a honeymoon all over again. And that is what it will be like on that glorious day when Jesus Christ comes. We will be caught up in the air to meet Him, and it will be like two lovers coming together. What hope we have!

Prayer for the day

Lord Jesus, when You come again, how many hearts will rejoice. Until then, with expectant anticipation I eagerly wait for that glorious day!

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What a wonderful God we have . . . who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us . . .

—2 Corinthians 1:3,4 (TLB)

The Bible teaches unmistakably that we can triumph over bereavement. The Psalmist said, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Self-pity can bring no enduring comfort. The fact is, it will only add to your misery. And unremitting grief will give you little consolation in itself, for grief begets grief. Sorrow, or mourning, when it is borne in a Christian way, contains a built-in comfort. “Happy are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.” There is comfort in mourning, because we know that Christ is with us. He has said, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Suffering is endurable if we do not have to bear it alone; and the more compassionate the Presence, the less acute the pain.

Prayer for the day

Thank You, loving heavenly Father, for the promise that when we mourn You will comfort us. I have felt the healing of Your consolation in the past and know You will never fail me.

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Those who still reject me are like the restless sea. . . . There is no peace, says my God, for them!

—Isaiah 57:20,21 (TLB)

Faith has legs . . . I heard about a man some years ago who was rolling a wheelbarrow back and forth on a tightrope across Niagara River. Thousands of people were shouting him on. He put a 200-pound sack of dirt in the wheelbarrow and rolled it over, and then he rolled it back. He turned to the crowd and asked, “How many of you believe that I can roll a man across?” Everybody shouted! One man in the front row was very excited in his professed belief. The man pointed to this excited professor and said, “You’re next!” You couldn’t see that man for dust! He didn’t actually believe it. He thought he believed it—but he was not willing to get in the wheelbarrow. Just so with Christ. Many people say they believe in Him, they say they follow Him. But they never have stepped into the wheelbarrow. They actually never have committed and surrendered themselves wholly, 100 percent to Christ.

Prayer for the day

Loving Lord Jesus, it was only when I surrendered everything to You that I knew the ultimate joy and peace that had always escaped me.

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Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word.

—Psalm 119:18 (TLB)

Some, who doubt that the Bible is the true Word of God, doubt it because they are unwilling to ascribe to God anything they cannot themselves achieve. If you have any uncertainty about the inspiration of the Bible, go back and look at it again. Look at it in the light of a person who has been staring at a mud puddle all his life, and who is confronted for the first time by a view of the ocean!

Perhaps you are only now catching your first glimpse of God’s unlimited power. Perhaps you are only now beginning to understand Him for what He actually is. For if God is the Spirit that Jesus declares Him to be, there is no problem of providence, there is no problem of His sovereignty in the affairs of men, there is no problem of His inspiration of the men who wrote the Bible. Everything fits into place, once you understand who and what God really is.

Prayer for the day

My Father and my God, as I read the Scriptures each day, You open my eyes to more of the glories of Your wondrous love.

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. . . I [have] raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee . . .

—Romans 9:17

Walter Knight tells the story about a little boy who had recently received Christ. “Daddy, how can I believe in the Holy Spirit when I have never seen Him?” asked Jim. “I’ll show you how,” said his father, who was an electrician. Later Jim went with his father to the power plant where he was shown the generators. “This is where the power comes from to heat our stove and to give us light. We cannot see the power, but it is in that machine and in the power lines,” said the father. “I believe in electricity,” said Jim. “Of course you do,” said his father, “but you don’t believe in it because you see it. You believe in it because you see what it can do. Likewise, you can believe in the Holy Spirit because you can see what He does in people’s lives when they are surrendered to Christ and possess His power.”

Prayer for the day

Make my heart completely devoid of self so that it can be filled with Your Spirit, Lord.

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Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

—Psalm 37:5

To know the will of God is the highest of all wisdom. Living in the center of God’s will rules out all falseness of religion and puts the stamp of true sincerity upon our service to God. You can be miserable with much, if you are out of His will; but you can have peace in your heart with little, if you are in the will of God. You can be wretched with wealth and fame, out of His will; but you can have joy in obscurity, if you are in the will of God. You can have agony in good health, out of His will; but you can be happy in the midst of suffering, if you are in God’s will. You can be miserable and defeated in the midst of acclaim, if you are out of His will; but you can be calm and at peace in the midst of persecution, as long as you are in the will of God. The Bible reveals that God has a plan for every life, and that if we live in constant fellowship with Him, He will direct and lead us in the fulfillment of this plan.

From Day by Day with Billy Graham, © 1976 BGEA

Prayer for the day

In everything I do, Your will must be uppermost in my life, Lord. I, as Your child, trust You to lead me.

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Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the [children] of God . . .

—1 John 3:1

As God’s children, we are His dependents. The Bible says, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” Dependent children spend little time worrying about meals, clothing, and shelter. They assume, and they have a right to, that all will be provided by their parents. Because God is responsible for our welfare, we are told to cast all our care upon Him, for He careth for us.

Because we are dependent upon God, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” God says, “I’ll take care of the burden—don’t give it a thought—leave it to me.” Dependent children are not backward about asking for favors. They would not be normal if they did not boldly make their needs known. God is keenly aware that we are dependent upon Him for life’s necessities. It was for that reason that He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

From Day by Day with Billy Graham, © 1976 BGEA

Prayer for the day

How magnificent, almighty Father, that I, dependently, can rely on You to take the burden of my heart!

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. . . the love of God toward us . . .

—1 John 4:9

Notice God’s love. The Bible teaches that God is love. You and I were sinners. We were aliens from God. We were enemies of God. We had rebelled against God. We deserved hell, but in spite of the fact that we resisted God, we rebelled against God, we sinned against God, we were enemies of God—the Bible says God loved us anyway with an everlasting love so that He was willing to give His Son to die on the cross for our sins. There is not a person who has the ability to love that way unless he comes to Christ. You don’t have the power to love.

From Day by Day with Billy Graham, © 1976 BGEA

Prayer for the day

Your love encompasses me, Lord Jesus, wherever I may be. There are so many who need the healing of Your love in their lives. Fill me to overflowing with “agapé” love for them.

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. . . do the good things that result from being saved, obeying God . . .

—Philippians 2:12 (TLB)

It takes no poll for those of us who have communicated with young people to know the devastation that permissive sexual activity generally causes. It becomes a cancer in the bodies and minds and characters of those who indulge, almost without exception. And there are other victims, such innocent bystanders as parents, grandparents, old family friends, teachers, and advisers, all much more concerned than you can understand. They want only the best for you. Anything less than a happy marital voyage gives them pain. The wisdom of their years says that premarital relations are always a mistake.

The Bible teaches that God created sex. He made “male and female.” Then it says, “God saw every thing that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” This included the natural sexual attraction between the man and woman He had created. Therefore, sex is not sin! It is God’s gift to the human race. It is for procreation; for enjoyment within the bonds of matrimony; for the fulfillment of married love.

From Day by Day with Billy Graham, © 1976 BGEA

Prayer for the day

All the gifts You have given us are to be enjoyed, within the structure of Your commandments, heavenly Father. Keep me always conscious of Your teachings.

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Stand steady, and don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Bring others to Christ . . .

—2 Timothy 4:5 (TLB)

All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is one filled not only with sunshine, but one which uses both light and shadow to produce beauty. The greatest musicians, as a rule, are those who know how to bring song out of sadness. Fanny Crosby, her spirit aglow with faith in Christ, saw more with her sightless eyes than most of us do with normal vision. She has given us some of the great gospel songs which cheer our hearts and lives. In a rat-infested jail in Philippi, Paul and Silas sang their song of praise at midnight to the accompaniment of the jailer’s whip. But their patience in suffering and persecution led to the heathen warden’s conviction.

Prayer for the day

Let my heart learn to sing when everything around me seems so dark. Give me Your grace to praise You, Lord Jesus.

From Day by Day with Billy Graham, © 1976 BGEA

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Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him . . .

—Genesis 6:22

One day God spoke to Noah about the wickedness of the human race. The actions of men and women grieved Him to the heart. God said that He intended to send a flood that would destroy mankind, and He told Noah to build an ark to save his household and the animals. The Bible says that Noah believed God. Now Noah had never seen a flood. He had never seen a 40-day rain. He had no weather map, no satellite photograph or meteorologist to tell him that a big storm was coming. All he had to go on was the Word of God. But when the flood came, Noah was spared and saved with his family, and the rest of the generation was swept away. Noah was saved because he put his trust in God. The days of Noah are returning to earth, and a catastrophe as great as the flood awaits those who refuse to enter into the ark of salvation, which is Jesus Christ.

From Day by Day with Billy Graham, © 1976 BGEA

Prayer for the day

Forgive me, Father—so often I question, when I should be trusting You, like Noah.

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Real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.

—Luke 12:15 (TLB)

There are two ways of being rich—have a lot, or want very little. The latter way is the easier for most of us. Many people make themselves miserable by wanting more than they can ever have. They suffer from “thing-itis,” the insatiable desire for more, better, and newer things. Jesus was the most satisfied man that ever lived, and He had less than most of us. “The foxes have their holes, and the birds their nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay His head.” He had learned the secret of adjusting His wants to His needs.

1. Stanley Jones tells about a poor man who had an overnight guest, and as he showed him to his humble bedroom in the hayloft, he said, “If there is anything you want, let us know, and we’ll come and show you how to get along without it.” We don’t need to learn how to get more, but how to get along with what we’ve got, and get on with the business of living.

Prayer for the day

Father, You have given me so much more than I deserve. May I always show a grateful and contented heart.

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