Fisher of Men
Becoming Christlike, Even in Conflict
“Trouble and distress are woven into the very fabric of this perishing world. Only Your Life in me can empower me to face the endless flow of problems with good cheer.” – Jesus Listens Prayers for Advent Jesus said in this world we’d have trouble, but somehow we usually think it’s found the wrong address when it knocks on our door. Misunderstandings. Disagreements. Clashing personalities and preferences. These are just a few of the relational conflicts we encounter in our homes and workplaces. And it should come as no surprise. On this side of the Fall, life is riddled with strife, but the good news is that God hasn’t left us alone to be overcome by difficulties. We live in the presence of a Redeemer who is at work in us, desiring to use even the most challenging situations to make us more...
God Can Mend Our Broken Hearts
“I can walk through the darkest days with Joy in my heart because I know that the Light of Your Presenceisstill shining on me.” – Jesus Listens Prayers for Advent Our lives are a series of challenges and benchmarks, with all sorts of lessons waiting to be scooped up along the way. There are few life events as heart-wrenching as splitting from someone you envisioned spending the rest of your life with. In today’s world, with all of the distractions, game-playing, and lack of social courtesy, romantic disappointment is an all-too-common occurrence. I’ve been there myself. The pain and symptoms of loss and dejection that wash over you—it feels like that hurt will never go away. Fortunately, that too will pass. And youalready possess some of the tools to start moving towards a healthier place ...
The Gifts of Amazing Grace
“I must hold on to these glorious truths with all my might as I make my way through the debris of this broken world. Help me remember that You Yourself are the Truth. You are also the Way, so it is wise to follow You.The Light of Your Presence is shining on me—illuminating the pathway before me.” – Jesus Listens Prayers for Advent Rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. (Philippians 3:1 NIV) My floral teacup is filled with stories. This delicate cup holds some (now dried) pink roses that one of my children bought to celebrate my first year of remission from cancer. I recall that hard-won healing milestone whenever I look at it, but I remember something else when I look more closely: Nestled within the dried roses is...
Life Isn’t Fair—But God Is In Your Corner
“I delight in hearing You whisper, ‘I am with you.’ And I rejoice in the new strength gained through spending time with You.” – Jesus Listens Prayers for Advent Sometimes life isn’t fair. Can I get an amen? Sometimes life just smacks us down. Without warning. And it’s not even our fault. Sickness hits out of the blue, beloved relationships end, or divorce or death arrives at our door, changing us forever. We all have stories We all have stories to share. We all have trials. Hurts. Pains. They just come in different flavors. Some hurts are big. And I mean really big. Like huge. Others are smaller, but they are real. And they count. I have a story, too. I am compelled to share only for this reason: freedom. God wants to take all of our burdens, big and small. He wants to make all things...
Nurturing Lifelong Friendships
“You lead me down the mountain, back into community with other people. May the Light of Your Presence continue to shine on me and make me a blessing to others.” – Jesus Listens, January 25th There’s something deeply comforting about a lifelong friend. They fit like a favorite sweatshirt: relaxed, familiar, and safe. Maybe you met when you both still had a lot of growing to do, so you did it together. You’ve supported each other through breakups and breakthroughs. You’re long past the early days of building trust, explaining the backstory, or worrying about formalities. But as easy as seasoned friendships feel, we can’t take them for granted—we can’t treat them like old sweatshirts. Like all relationships, lifelong friendships need attention and care. Here are three ways to nurture lifelong...
Prayer: A Gift to Marriage
“You’ve shown me that gratefulness blesses me doubly—with joyful memories of answered prayer and with the pleasure of sharing my happiness with You!” – Jesus Listens, February 29th Marriage is an incredible journey, full of ups and downs, twists and turns. There have been many times our marriage has surprised us, sometimes in good ways, and other times we have been surprised—or rather shocked—at how such a close relationship can experience heartache, pain, and hardship. In those times of uncertainty and emotion, we clung to the Lord in prayer. We humbled ourselves and presented to Him our brokenness, in hopes of Him transforming us for the better. Prayer was an anchor Prayer was an anchor for our relationship and continues to be a way we strengthen our unity and increase our intimacy with ...
We’ve Never Walked This Road Alone
“These signs of Your Presence strengthen me and prepare me for whatever difficulties I’ll encounter on the road ahead. Help me to remember that nothing in all creation can separate me from Your Love!” – Jesus Listens, September 22nd “God is going to do big things with your life,” we often hear. No doubt well meaning, but is it true? Is it big when God allows a believer to wrestle with debilitating chronic illness? Is it big when a godly servant spends his or her life serving in a small one-room church in a rural town? Is it big when a mother turns down a corner-office promotion to teach her children full time from home? Can a small and hidden life be as glorious as one seen and heard across the globe? Earthly standards While not big by earthly standards, even small acts of obedience that g...
Creating a Family Rule of Life
“An easy way for me to start talking with You is to thank You for being my Savior-God and beloved Friend. I can also give You thanks for things that are happening in my life, in my family, and beyond. These prayers of thanksgiving connect me with You and ease my way into other types of prayers.” – Jesus Listens, October 8th Decision fatigue is real. Weekday mornings used to be riddled with anxiety for one of my sons—finding the clothes he wanted for any given school day left us scrambling more than once. We now live in a school district with an established dress code for students: plain polos and pants. The dress code provided the structure he needed. Weekday mornings became a lot less stressful for everyone when we got into the routine of simplifying his outfit choices. Header Creating a ...
What to Do When God Seems to Have Vanished
“I need to practice trusting You during quiet days, when nothing much seems to be happening. Then, when storms come, my faith-balance will be sufficient to get me through those tough times. Please remind me to affirm my trust in You.” – Jesus Listens, February 22nd “Lord, where are you?” Cloud of hurt A sudden and sharp conflict with a friend left me reeling. The remaining cloud of hurt left me feeling as though God was gone. Despite walking with Jesus for decades, I couldn’t feel Him. I needed His presence. I craved His voice. Yet I felt deaf to the once-familiar whispers of His Spirit. The well-worn pages of my Bible and my battered faith told me He was still there, but it seemed God had disappeared into the blind spot of my pain. How do we see our invisible God when it seems He’s vanish...
Interruptions Can Be Opportunities
“Rather than letting setbacks and interruptions upset me, I want to use them as reminders—that You are the sovereign God and I am Your beloved follower. Help me to trust in Your unfailing Love, gladly subordinating my plans to Your infinitely wise Master Plan.” – Jesus Listens, October 26th I don’t like to be interrupted. Whether in conversation or while I am working on a task, interruptions derail my focus, stunt task completion, and frequently leave me unsettled or annoyed. I lose the point of what I was discussing when people interject. I lose my fervor for the task at hand when other demands cut in to dance. Some interruptions lurch I know you’ve been here, trying to tap out a text that matters—the response to your boss, the apology to your spouse, the reply to ...
The Birth & Death of Shame
“The Bible tells me that knowing the truth will set me free, and Your wonderful counseling is freeing me from sin and shame.” – Jesus Listens, October 9 Shame has been a background noise in my life—a low and persistent hum. But where did shame start? God created Adam and Eve in His own image, perfectly crafted to commune with Him for all eternity. But, of course, they didn’t stay that way. Just a short time after God placed Adam and Eve in the garden and laid out their purpose in creation, that purpose was tragically derailed by something called the fall. You likely know the story. Entire commentaries could (and have) been written on just the first three chapters of the Book of Beginnings, but I want to focus on what happened directly before and directly after Adam and Eve disobeyed God. H...
Live Without Secrets
“How thankful I am to be fully known by You! Everything about me is visible to You—including my most secret thoughts and feelings.” – Jesus Listens, April 19th I long for a church that lives without secrets. The Beauty of Honesty One of my favorite things about church is our new members’ meetings. All the new members pack in a room for a Saturday, and they share their testimonies. There are always lots of tissues, lots of hugs, and lots of honesty. Whenever I see new members join, I think, This is the church as it should be! A bunch of people in a room, telling each other why they are messed up, and celebrating that God loves us anyway. But most of church life is not like that. I see pastors fall from grace because of secrets they kept. I see people worry more about fitting in at church th...
