Sunday Entries

by Addison Bevere

Separator Words with God by Addison Bevere

May 7, 2023

God Hears Our Silent Prayers

Today is the United States’ National Day of Prayer, a day when our government is required by its own law to remind us to pray.

But many of us, if we’re honest, have lost faith in our prayers. We’ve prayed, and things didn’t seem to change. We’ve checked the boxes, but it feels like God’s checked out . . .

In Luke 1:13, there’s a moment between an angel and Zechariah, the father of the Baptizer. The angel says, “Do not be afraid . . . your prayer has been heard.”

You probably know the story but there’s something subtle in the verb tense and context that suggests Zechariah was praying for the redemption of his nation but had given up on praying for a child.

This story, among so many others, tells us that God hears us when we pray for our land. As we pray big prayers for our nation, though, we would do well to remember that God has a way of answering them through what He does in our own lives, our own families.

Luke 1:13 also reminds us that God even hears the prayers we’ve stopped praying. He hears them because prayer is an outflow of relationship . . . not a religious duty. When a prayer leaves our lips, it journeys to the Father’s heart where it stays and grows until its time has come.

While holding onto both mystery and certainty, I can promise that your words, groans, tears, and cries somehow participate in God’s plans for our world. So please. For the sake of both your family and this nation . . . pray.

Standing with you,

Addison

Separator Words with God by Addison Bevere

P.S. I heard a story yesterday about a lady who went into Barnes & Noble, looking for a book on prayer. She said out loud, “I need a book on prayer!” Someone who had just finished Words with God: Trading Boring, Empty Prayer for Real Connection happened to be in the area, and he grabbed the last book off the shelf, introduced himself, and handed it to her.

If you need a copy of your own, just click here.

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Sunday Entries

On most Sundays, I share a few words on prayer as a way of life, words that help us open the conversation so we can see, hear, and experience more of God in our daily lives. I’d love for you to join the conversation.

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The Entries

06.11.23

“I’ve been thinking a lot about circles lately. So much of life is defined by circles—our days, week, months, and years form circles for us to move in and through. We’re constantly reminded that the end of a thing has a way of taking us back to a beginning. It would seem the cosmos announces the Circle as God’s shape of choice…”

06.04.23

“Paul once wrote, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything.” For Paul, who just happened to be in prison when he wrote these words, the most reasonable thing we can do is reject anxiety and hold fast to the Truth that God is always here…”

05.14.23

“When we try to be two places at once, we end up being nowhere, living disengaged from the presence of God, ourself, and those around us. People often ask me, “Addison, why don’t I feel God’s presence?” Without fail, the people who struggle to feel God’s presence are those who struggle to be present…”

Addison Bevere is the COO of Messenger International, a ministry founded by John and Lisa Bevere in 1990 that exists to develop uncompromising followers of Christ who transform our world. Messenger is dedicated to providing people with access to life-transforming messages regardless of their location, language, or financial position.

addison-thumbnail-2021
Addison Bevere

Husband, father, author, poet, speaker & follower of Christ

addison-thumbnail-2021
Addison Bevere

Husband, father, author, poet, speaker & follower of Christ

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