But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?—Romans 10:14

In Acts 8 we find the story of a foreign dignitary from Ethiopia. As the queen’s treasurer, he was a powerful man who would have traveled with an entourage. He went to Jerusalem in search of God, but found dead, lifeless religion instead. However, he obtained a scroll of Isaiah while he was there. And as it happened, he was traveling through the desert, reading aloud about the suffering of the Messiah, when God led Philip to go to him and share the gospel.

Philip saw him traveling along, reading from Isaiah’s scroll. So Philip walked up to him and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (verse 30). The man said, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” Philip climbed up into the chariot, took the scroll, told him what it meant, and pointed him to Jesus. And before the day was over, that man had become a believer and left with joy in his heart and a spring in his step. This is what people are still looking for today: someone to show them the way.

There is one thing that Christians and non-Christians have in common: both are very uptight about evangelism. Christians are uptight about evangelizing, and non-Christians are uptight about being evangelized. But I think some of us give up way too easily. When we ask someone if anyone has ever told them about Jesus, or if we invite someone to church and they say no, we give up too easily. Instead, try asking, “Well, why do you say that? Did you have a bad experience in church?”

God has primarily chosen to reach people through people. So engage them, and most importantly, keep praying for them. Give it a try, and you will discover what a joy it is to tell others about Jesus.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”—Ephesians 6:18

I heard the story of three ministers debating the best posture for prayer.

One minister shared that he felt that the key was in the hands. He always held his hands together and pointed them upward as a symbolic form of worship.

Another minister suggested that real prayer was conducted on one’s knees. That was the only way to really pray.

The third said that they were both wrong. The only position in which to pray was to lie on the floor, flat on your face.

As they were talking, a telephone repairman had been working in the background, listening. Finally, he couldn’t take it any longer. He blurted out, “For me, the most powerful prayer I ever prayed was while I was dangling upside down by my heels from a power pole, 40 feet above the ground!”

Listen: the posture of prayer is not the most important thing.

The main thing is to pray!

• You can pray in any position, at anytime, anywhere.
• You can pray publically, privately, verbally, silently.
• You can be kneeling, standing, sitting, lying down, or even driving.
• You can pray with your eyes open or closed! (Ever make eye contact with someone while praying?)

Sometimes we think that perhaps the Lord will hear our prayers more readily if they are prayed in a church building. But that is not necessarily true.

• Daniel prayed in a lion’s den.
• David prayed in a field.
• Peter prayed on and under the water.
• Jonah’s prayer was heard from the belly of a whale!

It doesn’t matter where you are . . . Just pray!

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.—1 Corinthians 6:19–20

You belong to God. I belong to God. We belong to God. The Bible says, “You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Your career belongs to God. Your family belongs to God. Your home belongs to God. So does your car, your health, the beat of your heart, and the breath you draw in your lungs. It is all a gift from God to you.

Often we will forget and neglect God, but is it too much to dedicate some time every day to pray and read the Word of God? God gave you everything that you have. You can give thanks. Is it that big of a deal to say, before you start eating, “Lord, thank You for this food”? It doesn’t have to be a long prayer. You don’t have to pray for every missionary around the world. But it is important to give thanks to the Lord for all that you have, acknowledging that you have received it from Him.

Is it asking too much to take a percentage of your income and give it to God’s work? That is called tithing. The Bible talks about tithes and offerings. Tithe means “a tenth.” In fact, Jesus commended the Pharisees for their tithing, while at the same time saying they were simply missing the point (see Matthew 23:23). Every Christian should tithe and bring offerings (see Malachi 3:10).

What if all the church was just like you? No individual Christian can sin without affecting the whole body of Christ. No child of God can grow cold in the spiritual life without lowering the spiritual temperature of everyone else around him or her. You affect others, and others affect you.

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. —Proverbs 16:18
Self-confidence is at the foundation of many sins people commit. But pride goes before a fall. We say, “I can handle this. This isn’t even a problem. I’ll know when to stop.” But it doesn’t work out that way.
That was the problem with the Israelites at Ai (see Joshua 7). They had self-confidence. They said, in effect, “We can handle Ai. It isn’t a problem.”
This is often what will lead to a fall. You think it isn’t going to happen to you. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.”
If you know someone who has fallen into sin, don’t be arrogant, because you could have done the same thing. In fact, the Bible tells us, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself” (Galatians 6:1).
Imagine being out with a friend who suddenly tripped, fell, and was injured. Would you kick him while he was down? “Idiot! Why didn’t you look?” Or, would you jerk him to his feet and throw him up against a wall? I hope not. No, you would reach down and gently get him back up on his feet again, dusting him off. “Are you okay? Hang on to my shoulder. I’ll help you walk. Do you need to see a doctor? Are you going to be all right?”
You show a little compassion, knowing it could have happened to you. We need to remember that as we’re reaching out to others.
The first thing that led to the Israelites’ defeat at Ai was self-confidence. And the first thing that usually leads to our spiritual defeat is self-confidence.

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.”—Matthew 5:11–12

How was Jesus known when He walked this earth?

He was known as “the friend of sinners.” We might think that sounds like a compliment now, but it wasn’t meant as a compliment then.

Some members of the Jewish leadership establishment were appalled that Jesus would hang out with sinners.

No, He never compromised—this was our holy God in the flesh. But He loved these outcasts, this off-scouring of society, and they knew that He loved them. They were drawn by that love just like moths are drawn to a Coleman lantern in the middle of the wilderness.

We need to love people in the same way. Since we’re going to be persecuted, let’s be persecuted for the right reasons. Not for being self-righteous but for being righteous.

May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. —Numbers 6:25

In the song, “Positively Fourth Street,” Bob Dylan sings, “I wish that for just one time, you could stand inside my shoes. You’d know what a drag it is to see you.”

We may think that God feels that way about us sometimes: “Oh, what a drag. Greg is here. Hi, Greg.” But that is not how God feels about us. He smiles.

Think about when someone you really love shows up. Your face lights up, doesn’t it? That is how God is with us.

In contrast, have you ever noticed how idols are always frowning? I have visited museums where I have seen various idols, and they always look like they are mad about something. They are never smiling.

But that is not God. He looks at us and smiles. He loves to bless us. And here is something else we may not know: He sings over us. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” I love that.

Recently I was pushing my granddaughter on the swing, and as I pushed her I was singing to her. I took the Chris Tomlin song, “Sing, Sing, Sing” but instead sang, “Swing, swing, swing.” Since then, whenever I ask her if she wants to go swing, she’ll start singing, “Swing, swing, swing.” She knows what that song is associated with. I sing over my granddaughter. I sing her Christian songs. I sing her biblical lyrics. I want them to be ingrained in her little mind so she remembers them.

God sings over you. He delights to be in your presence. And I hope you delight to be in His.

“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

—Luke 12:32

The word blessed comes from the Greek word makarios, which refers to the kind of happiness that is self-contained. When we see the word blessed used in the New Testament, that is the happiness it’s referring to.

Yet sometimes in our lives, our happiness is not self-contained. Rather, it is contingent on good things happening. We think that if we could just get that raise at work, we would be happy. When something fun or exciting is happening, then we’re happy. But when we don’t get that raise at work or when we get some bad news, we are not happy. In those circumstances, our happiness depends on good things happening.

But blessed is a different kind of word. Regardless of what is taking place circumstantially, you are blessed. That’s the idea of makarios.

God wants to bless you. Jesus said, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

When I was raising my two sons, especially my first son, Christopher, I kind of spoiled them. I agree with Dr. James Dobson’s statement that parents owe their first child an apology. I would just randomly buy toys for them. I would say, “Let’s go to the toy store.” It wasn’t a birthday or Christmas. We would look around, and then we would end up buying a big toy. That is how I spoiled my children, and I suppose that is the privilege of a parent. (I’m not advocating it, but I am saying that I did this.)

If you are a child of God, then know this: God loves to bless His children. And here is something else to remember: God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed. Isn’t that great to know?

“The LORD bless you and keep you.” —Numbers 6:24

We use the word bless a lot. It’s an apropos response to someone who is sneezing, or we might use it to end a conversation: “Well, it’s really good to see you! God bless!” And sometimes we may hear someone who has no interest in Jesus Christ say this or that is a blessing. But they don’t even know what the word really means.

Bless is a spiritual word. Jesus both started and concluded His ministry by blessing people. When children came to Him, He took them into His arms and blessed them. After His resurrection, He lifted up His hands and blessed the disciples. Jesus loved to bless people.

Then we have the Beatitudes, which are the first verses of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:3–4). Again and again in these opening verses of Matthew 5, Jesus used the word blessed.

In the book of Numbers, God commanded the priests to pronounce a blessing on His people, a people wandering in the wilderness. He wanted this blessing pronounced on the people again and again: “The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24–26).

Essentially God was saying, “I want this ingrained in their brains. I want it etched into their hearts. I want them to know this blessing from memory and be able to recite it at a moment’s notice.” Why? Because this blessing would show them what God is like. It shows His nature and attitude toward them and, in effect, toward us.