“I pray for them.” — John 17:9
For the last few months I have parked myself in John 17, the prayer the disciples overheard Jesus praying the night He was betrayed. The truly stunning element to this prayer is that facing the horror of His arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death, as well as the subsequent fear, grief, and confusion that would overwhelm His disciples, Jesus prayed for them. And for me. And for you.
In John 17:9 Jesus says: “I pray for them”. While He was speaking specifically of His 11 disciples, we can apply His words to ourselves as followers of Jesus. So in this time of chaos, confusion, and fear; disease, death, and disasters, I have received enormous encouragement and hope from knowing that Jesus is praying for me. And for you. Wherever you may be, wrap your heart around the knowledge that Jesus is praying for you.
What is Jesus praying for? While He prayed for different things, there are three things that the Holy Spirit continually seems to whisper to my heart as we face this troubled and trying New Year.
First, Jesus is praying for our focus to remain fixed on our relationship with Him. He knows how easy it is for us to slip into focusing on our pain or problems or politics; on our health or home; on our circumstances or crisis; on our finances or family. He begins His prayer addressing the Almighty God of the Universe…the One associated with fire and lightning and thunder and awesome displays of power…as Father. While He is not equating God with your father or mine, He is emphasizing that you and I can have a personal relationship with God. The apostle Paul further confirms the personal relationship by saying we can call God, “Abba”1 …Daddy.
Jesus goes on to reveal that God has given Him authority to give us eternal life, which is not only opening Heaven for us when we die, which He does, praise God!…but Jesus has the authority to offer us an intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit… right now. In verse three Jesus uses the word “know”, which is the same word used to describe an intimate relationship between a husband and wife. So in these troubled times stay focused on your relationship with God and His relationship with you. He loves you! He is your Father and you are His beloved child!
Secondly, Jesus prays that you and I would be faithful to His Word when He says, “I gave them the Word you have given Me, and they have received them.” Our faith does not rest on our circumstances or problems or what somebody has said or the opinions of others. It does not rest in our feelings, or our emotions, or in what’s swirling around us. It does not rest on what we can see, feel, taste, touch, or smell. Our faith is to be firmly fixed on the Word of God. This is a time to read the Bible. Every day. Then we need to apply it to our lives, live it out in obedience, and share what it says with others. In a rapidly changing world, the Word of God does not change. The Bible says that God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven.2 You can count on it. It’s trustworthy and true. God is a gentleman. You can take Him at His word. Let’s recommit to opening our Bibles, listening for His voice to speak to us through the pages.
Thirdly, Jesus prays for our future: “Father I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.” As our world personally, nationally, and globally seems to be falling apart, I long to see Jesus. I long for the world to see Him as He is — in glory and power. I long for Him to come back to rule in righteousness, justice, and peace. But at the end of this prayer, we discover that Jesus also has intense longings. He longs to come back. He longs to see us. He’s yearning to be with His followers. He is longing for us to see Him in His glory. Jesus promised in John 14:3: “I’m going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you to Myself that where I am you may be also.” At any moment the sky is going to unfold. We’re going to hear the blast of the trumpet. Jesus Himself will descend with a loud shout, and those of us who are alive on earth are going to be caught up to live with Him forever in His heavenly home.3 On that day we’re going to see Him in His glory. We are going to see Him seated on the throne of Heaven surrounded by thousands upon thousands, ten thousand upon ten thousand, millions of angels. And down here where increasingly we’re not allowed to even say His name…down here where His name is blasphemed and profaned, denied and disputed…one day His name is going to resound throughout the universe. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive all power and wealth and strength and honor and glory and praise”4…and the whole universe will rock in acclamation of the name that’s above every name. At His name every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess He is Lord and He is King.5 And on that day when we’re surrounded by millions of angels and redeemed humanity and we’re worshipping the Lamb who sits on the throne, you are going to exclaim that everything you suffered here, everything you have gone through, is worth whatever the cost many times over, because He is worth it! And you are finally Home!
Facing betrayal, arrest, trials, torture, crucifixion and death, Jesus looked past the immediate suffering and humiliation to the glory that was to come. And He prays that you and I will do the same.
So in the New Year of 2021, stay focused on your relationship with Him, rest your faith firmly on His Word, and look forward to the future. The best is yet to come!
For His Glory,
1Romans 8:15
2Psalm 119:89
31 Thessalonians 4:13-18
4Revelation 5:12
5Philippians 2:9-11
One of the truly amazing results of the pandemic lockdown is that I have spoken to thousands more people by video than I ever would have in person. We estimate that thousands upon thousands have watched videos done for churches, conferences, conventions, and schools. Only Heaven knows the number of people who have made a commitment to Jesus as a result, but we praise God and give Him all the glory for His promise that His Word will not return void!
What a privilege God gave me to address military chaplains and their spouses at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove the week following Thanksgiving. With Christmas decorations in full view giving a wonderfully festive atmosphere, I shared that Jesus came 2000 years ago, went back to Heaven, and sent down His Holy Spirit to live in us. He is the One who strengthens, comforts, advises, empowers, and helps each of us to serve effectively. Many of those in the audience stood at the end of the message to recommit themselves to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit.
Due to Rachel-Ruth’s COVID diagnosis, she and I interacted on a split zoom screen from two different locations when she invited me to help her kick off her online Bible study for the New Year. She knows how Abraham has impacted me; and since her ladies were beginning to study his life, I had the joy of answering her questions. I was richly blessed as together we led those watching in an overview of an ordinary man who became extraordinary—one whom God called His friend.
Read John 17
Now, read John 17 again, this time asking the Holy Spirit to whisper to your heart as you answer the following questions about:
I. YOUR FOCUS John 17:1-5
Anne’s messages in this album were birthed after months of meditation on John 17. In this moving chapter we discover that Jesus is praying for us to stay focused on our relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to remain steadfast in our faith that is firmly planted in His Word, and to look forward to the future when we see Him in His glory.
Special guest teacher Rachel-Ruth Wright shares that the Lord wants to use us like Esther, for “such a time as this”—to access the King’s presence, using His authority in prayer until we get answers.
Anne’s daughter, Rachel-Ruth Wright, is leading an online women’s Bible study. You can join her live or review the recorded study on our website (see below). Here is a personal note from Rachel-Ruth:
If there was ever a time to be in God’s Word it is now!! I am so excited to have Bible Study starting back up! We are going to study Genesis this year. I love the Old Testament and I felt like the Lord led me to go back to the beginning . . . where it all started.
I’m looking forward to all that God wants to teach us. I think we all need it and are hungry to hear from Him. Since we have to be online, let’s pray God gives wings to this Bible study to reach people all over the country and the world!
In Jesus in Me, Anne draws on her rich biblical knowledge as well as her personal story—including her recent cancer journey—to help us understand that the Holy Spirit is not a magic genie, a flame of fire, or a vague feeling. He is a Person who prays for us, guides us in our relationships and decisions, comforts us in pain, and stays by our side at all times. In this simple, yet profound teaching, she explores seven key aspects of the Holy Spirit that will revolutionize how you understand and relate to this vital third Person of the Trinity.
Discover how to better love and rely on the Person of the Holy Spirit and embrace how much He loves you.
Video and Study Guide Sold Separately
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I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” — Psalm 91:2
The last two years of my life have been physically challenging and spiritually strengthening. I can declare with certainty based on God’s Word and my personal experience that the Lord is utterly trustworthy. Therefore I have made the choice to place my trust in Him, regardless of feelings, circumstances, or the opinions of others.
So if you, too, find yourself challenged by chaos, fear, anger, weariness, disease, loneliness and despair, I encourage you to renew your commitment to trust in the One who has loved you from before the beginning of time, and who will love you to the End. The world is not falling apart. It is falling into place at the feet of the One who works all things for your good and His glory.
The following is a prayer I wrote regarding unshakable trust that has been taken from my newest book, The Light of His Presence: Prayers to Draw You Near to the Heart of God. As our world convulses and our nation implodes, I have prayed this prayer for you…and for myself.
O God of Creation,
I bow before You, acknowledging Your greatness and Your glory. No one compares to You. No one is Your equal. I look at Your creation and marvel at the infinite power and wisdom that are Yours. Nothing is beyond Your reach. You are the One who “brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name. Because of [Your] great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” You are the One who “has pitched a tent for the sun. . . . It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”1 There is nowhere in all the universe where You are not.
Surely Your arm “is not too short to save, nor [Your] ear too dull to hear.”2 Yet I confess that as I look around at the mess our world is in—when terrorists strike; when floods, fires, tornadoes, and storms ravage our land; when national leaders don’t lead; when business leaders lie; when political leaders put their own interests before the people’s; when spiritual leaders contradict Your Word—I find myself asking, What’s going on? Where are You?
The Enemy whispers lies, tempting me to think You are . . .
distracted, disengaged, distant,
inattentive, inactive, impotent,
outmaneuvered, outmoded, outclassed,
unable, unaffected, and even unaware
of our fear, our helplessness, our confusion, our outrage.
Why do You seem so small while our problems, disasters, and enemies seem so large?
So I ask, Almighty God, that You would strengthen my resolve to place my trust in You. Give me the courage to declare that even if “the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord,”3 I will trust in You. If “the earth give[s] way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging,”4 I will trust in You. Though “nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall,”5 I will trust in You. When “the wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright,”6 I will trust in You. I trust You!
In the powerful, unshakable, unstoppable name of Jesus, Amen.
These are trusting times. Keep praying…
For His Glory,
Message adapted from Anne’s new book, The Light of His Presence: “A Prayer for Unshakable Trust”
1 Isaiah 40:25-26; Psalms 19:4; 139:7-8
2 Isaiah 59:1
3 Psalm 2:2
4 Psalm 46:2-3
5 Psalm 46:6
6 Psalm 37:14
Due to COVID, the hosts of each of my speaking engagements since March have gone virtual. While I have missed interacting with people face to face, I have been able to fulfill my commitments by video. Added to my speaking schedule were several invitations that came with only a few weeks notice. One of the most special opportunities was to address the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast by video. As I looked into the camera, in my mind’s eye, I could see the faces of old and new friends who had been before me two years ago.
Between 300,000 and 400,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on September 26 to pray. It was my privilege to begin Jonathan Cahn’s prayer call, The Return, by challenging those present to look up! Jesus is still on the throne. And I prayed with my brother Franklin at his last prayer stop in front of the Capitol, pleading with God to hear all of our prayers, forgive all of our sin, and heal our land.
Read Psalm 91
I. TRUSTING HIS PRESENCE 91:1-2
Like many of us, Anne has struggled with prayer. Over the years, she discovered that writing out her prayers draws her into deeper, more intimate conversations with God. The Light of His Presence offers forty of these tender, honest prayers for real-life situations as an invitation to deepen your own prayer life through worship, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession.
Discover how to better love and rely on the Person of the Holy Spirit and embrace how much He loves you.
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And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. — Ephesians 6:18
As I write this newsletter, we are still under lockdown due to COVID-19 and under a curfew due to rioting in our streets. Our circumstances seem to be out of control with angry, frustrated rhetoric coming at us from all sides. Our perspective can be distorted if we give in to fear and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Yet could it be that what the enemy has intended for evil, God is using for good?1 And could the good coming out of these terrible times be God’s people turning to Jesus in repentance of sin, crying out for Him to return to us in order that once again, we would receive His blessing? May it be so!
On Pentecost Sunday, May 31st, I felt led by God to offer a prayer initiative, Turn to Jesus: Calling Women to Pray. While the pandemic was the original catalyst, the chaos, confusion, and violence that followed the senseless killing of George Floyd seemed to underscore that the timing was Spirit-led. The following are some online testimonies from those who participated.
I’m convinced that Heaven was moved in answer to the hundreds of thousands of us who prayed on Pentecost Sunday. Thank you for participating. But our work of prayer is not finished.
I was reminded of this when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown loosened and businesses began to reopen, allowing me to meet a friend for lunch at a local restaurant. As we sat down in the booth, we almost immediately plunged into a conversation about the national unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s horrific murder. In a few moments, we were served by a young African-American man who was wearing a large black face mask. After the server had left to turn in the order we had given him, we bowed our heads and my friend asked God’s blessing on our meal. When she lifted her head, I blurted out regretfully that we should have asked the waiter if we could pray for him. When he returned to bring us our order, I told him we had just prayed, and I wanted to know if there was anything we could pray for him. He immediately gave us a request, then to our amazement, he held out his hands, bowed his head, and waited for us to pray! We took his hands and I prayed as he had asked. When I concluded the prayer, his eyes were filled with tears. He said he was trying hard not to cry…that we had no idea all that he was going through. And he thanked us. For praying. Such a simple act that meant so much to all of us.
The experience led me to recommit to not just a set-aside-time of prayer as we had in Turn to Jesus, but to obey Paul’s exhortation, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.2 Join me in being alert and Spirit-led in prayer for people all around us with whom we interact. Through our prayers, let’s move Heaven on behalf of another person.
For His Glory,
1 Genesis 50:20
2 Ephesians 6:18
Being prayed for by Pastor David Anderson and his wife Amber at Bridgeway Community Church.
Praying for a Samoan American soldier in Jerusalem.
Praying for an African ambassador in India.
Praying for hotel workers in Hyderabad, India.
Read 1 Kings 18
Available October 6, 2020
In this powerful new volume, Anne gives readers a starting point for their own daily encounters with the One who listens to every heartache and who delights in giving every good gift out of His abundant grace and mercy.
When you PREORDER THE LIGHT OF HIS PRESENCE before October 6, you will receive free digital bonus gifts to enjoy!
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“…Now show me Your glory.” — Exodus 33:18
The coronavirus pandemic this Spring has put everyone in a hard place. Many of us have been either locked down in our homes, quarantined, or even hospitalized. Businesses and restaurants and beaches have closed; schools and churches have moved online; even legislators are contemplating voting from home, as we are all urged to keep a social distance from each other in order to protect ourselves from this highly contagious, deadly disease. The hosts for my upcoming speaking engagements have canceled their events; my doctors have canceled my appointments; and I find that I, too, am isolated. I’ve been reminded of a dramatic scene in the Old Testament…
When Moses asked God to show him His glory, God agreed, but specified that Moses would only be allowed to see the backside. In other words, Moses would only see God’s glory as he looked back. He placed Moses in the cleft of a rock…in a hard place…as He covered Moses with His hand, to reassure him of His presence. Then God removed His hand, and Moses must have felt abandoned. Forsaken. Isolated. Alone.1 But it was just then that God caused His glory to pass by Moses. God’s glory was not a shining cloud, but a fresh revelation of His character: And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.’ 2
In the past four years, I, too, have been placed in the “cleft of a rock”. A hard place. My husband’s sudden, unexpected death; my father’s death three years later; my diagnosis of cancer and the subsequent surgery and follow-up treatments have been personally and equally as hard as the place in which we now find ourselves as a nation. But…
As I have looked back, I have seen God’s “glory”. I have experienced God’s faithfulness to meet my needs, His grace to pour out His blessings through family and friends, His strength to enable me to endure triumphantly, and His goodness to bring me through one day at a time. The vision of His glory enabled me to maintain my joy, my inner peace, and the steadfast hope that God was in control and would work out all things for my good.3
In what hard place has God placed you? Do you find yourself today in “the cleft of a rock”? Your situation may be directly related to the coronavirus, or it may have nothing at all to do with it. But do you feel isolated from others, lonely, abandoned as you wonder where God is?
If you are in a hard place, ask God to show you His glory. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a fresh, personal way. He promises that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.4 So…Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.5
Who knows? As you look back on the hard place in which you find yourself, you may discover that it actually has been the place of your greatest blessing because it was there that you experienced a fresh encounter with the living God.
For His Glory,
1 Exodus 33:18-23
2 Exodus 34:6-7
3 Romans 8:28
4 James 4:8 NKJV
5 Hebrews 10:22
With my oldest daughter, Morrow, looking on, my younger daughter, Rachel-Ruth, and I spoke to a gathering of over 200 Christian women leaders in the beautiful backyard of a friend’s home in Santa Barbara, CA. What a privilege! We shared the urgency of the hour, challenging them to maintain their walk with the Lord, share the Gospel, and make disciples of their children. It was a blessing to stay afterwards and visit with those who had come.
Pastor Ray Bentley gave me the privilege of speaking at his three worship services at Maranatha Chapel in San Diego, CA. Following the 3rd service, I had the time to pray with those who responded to the invitation, indicating they wanted to invite Jesus to come into their hearts in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Praise God! Many did!
I was invited by Pastor David Anderson to speak at all three Sunday morning services at Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, MD. From the time I arrived until the time I left, I was bathed in prayer by his elders, his leaders, and himself. In answer to prayer, God poured out His Spirit on all of us.
I. IN THE DESERT
*Describe a spiritual “desert.” See Exodus 15:22; 16:2-3.
*Where did God’s people see the LORD in Exodus 16:10?
This latest edition of the 365-day devotional features a larger trim, enlarged print, and a fresh design, breathing new life into a title that has been loved and appreciated for over 15 years. Each dated devotional in The Joy of My Heart includes a Scripture verse and reflections from Anne on topics such as eternity, grief, and faith.
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“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way I command you…” — Deuteronomy 11:26-28
When I drive down the highway, painted lines on the pavement provide helpful guidance. A dotted white line lets me know that if the lane of oncoming traffic is clear, I can pass other cars. A solid line means no passing is allowed. The highway department is not trying to take away my joy in driving. The lines on the road are intended to keep me safe, and keep others safe, while I’m on my way to my destination.
In a similar way, as we live and travel down life’s road, we can push the boundaries God has established. But we do so at our own peril. If we go outside His “road markings,” the likelihood is that we will get hurt, as well as hurt other people. At the very least, we will experience life on a lower level than He intended. The alternative is to take God at His Word, stay within His boundaries, and trust Him to know what’s best for us.
Let’s consider some of His road markings…
• When God says to have no other gods before Him, He knows that other gods—such as money, fame, sex, pleasure, power—will enslave you.
• When God says not to create and worship idols, He knows that behind them are demonic forces who will weaken you, deceive you, and suck you into evil attitudes, words, actions, and thoughts that you had no idea you were capable of having or saying or doing.
• When God says not to misuse His name, He knows that unless you reverence Him, you will not have even the beginning of wisdom with which to live and make your decisions.
• When God says to set aside one day in seven in order to focus on Him, He knows that such a lifestyle will help keep your faith anchored and remind you that the world doesn’t need your effort to continue spinning.
• When God says to honor your parents, He knows it will lead to a richer, fuller, longer life.
• When God says not to murder, He knows that human life has a high value. Yours and theirs.
• When God says not to commit adultery, He knows sexual betrayal destroys a marriage bond and cracks the foundation of a nation.
• When God says not to steal, He knows that if we want others to respect us and our possessions, we need to respect them and their possessions. Without mutual trust we cannot have safe, healthy relationships.
• When God says not to lie, He knows that integrity is foundational to a successful life and a strong society.
• When God says not to covet, He knows the danger of never being content with what we have, whether it’s a spouse, a home, or a job. We will be dominated by greed that demands more and more until we are insatiably unfulfilled.1
This simple and incomplete rationale for heeding God’s road markings illustrates that His practical, divine directions for living are for our own good. And while you may be questioning what the Holy Spirit has to do with what is in essence the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses, we may benefit from being reminded that the entire Bible is “God-breathed”—divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, both Old Testament and New Testament.2
When you or I go outside His directions for living—His road markings—we wind up with less than God intended us to have. This begs the question, What if you have gone outside God’s road markings? What if you have hurt yourself or someone else and now want to live according to God’s directions? The first step is just to tell Him. Be honest.
So at the beginning of this new year, whether you have been living in ignorance of His directions or in rebellion against them, tell Him what you have done, where you are, and that you want to live as He directs. Then start reading your Bible. Study it, love it, and live by it. God the Holy Spirit is your helper. Your strengthener. Your counselor. He is just waiting for you to turn to Him and give Him the freedom and authority to bring order out of your chaos.
For His Glory,
1 Exodus 20:3-17
2 2 Timothy 3:16
The above message was adapted from Anne’s new book JESUS IN ME.
Every opportunity Anne had during her book tour was richly blessed, whether an online interview, a television appearance, a radio conversation, a written article, or a speaking engagement. Pictured above is the Sunday morning worship service at Times Square Church in New York City that Pastor Carter Conlon graciously gave for Anne to deliver the message on the Holy Spirit. Dozens of people responded to the altar call to invite Him to live within them as their Constant Companion.
*Give a phrase from each of the following verses that underscores the source of our life’s directions:
Exodus 20:1-2; Deuteronomy 5:12, 15, 16, 22, 32-33.
*What gives God the right to establish directions for life in 2020? See Genesis 1:1.
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