Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Something that I’ve been able to do in past years and hope to do again soon is to take a little retreat, a mini-sabbatical of sorts, in a room upstairs for two days or more to get away from distractions in order to gather and write new devotional material. On one particular retreat, part of the time was spent sorting through my “treasure trove” of folders containing notes from speaking engagements, talks, Bible studies, newspaper clippings, and such, from which I do some of my research for writing. One such talk touched on the passage beginning in Hebrews 11, known as the “Hall of Faith.” It relates to how God used ordinary people in the Old Testament who, by faith, accomplished extraordinary things. That led me to compile a list of my own “hall of faith,” based upon God’s faithfulness in answering prayers for lost loved ones.
Before I boast in the Lord for what He has done, let me share one of the prayer strategies that has reaped rewards for our “hall of faith.” A routine my husband and I set in place many years ago was to have devotion and prayer time after our evening meal. One area we were especially burdened by was the eternal security of our immediate and extended family members. We set up a prayer strategy that was easy to remember, one that we used for a long time and saw God’s faithfulness. Prayers were offered up for any folks who were part of our family circle, including parents, siblings, in-laws, aunts, uncles, and cousins, by their last name—for example, all of the Smith family, all of the Jones family, the Thomas family, etc. What could have been time-consuming and burdensome, our method took just a minute or so to voice these names, and it became a regular part of our prayer time. As I began to compile my own “hall of faith” that goes back 50 years to when my husband came to Christ, I was heartened to see amongst the many answers to prayer, in a variety of areas, how many family members had come to faith in Christ:
• By prayer my husband came to faith in Christ three months after I did.
• By prayer both of our daughters came to faith.
• By prayer after 19 years of praying, my parents came to faith in Christ.
• By prayer after 29 years of praying, my brother came to faith in Christ.
• By prayer our son-in-law came to faith in Christ.
• By prayer my aunt and two cousins came to faith in Christ.
• By prayer two of our grandchildren have come to faith in Christ.
• By prayer my husband’s brother came to know Christ.
• By prayer our niece and her husband came to faith in Christ.
If someone were to ask you today, “How is your prayer life?” what would be your answer? In previous devotions I have shared my own struggles and successes, coming and going into various seasons of prayer. Your answer may fall anywhere from “very satisfied, to “not satisfied” or even, “discouraged and gave up.” Sometimes it’s worth taking a look back at what God has done in our lives to be motivated anew to pray with faith and fervency. May I encourage you, dear reader, to take a look back and compile your own “hall of faith.” Recall what God has done and commit to a new season of effective prayerfulness.
There are many books and devotions out there—including mine—that offer tips, strategies, schedules, formulas, and such on how to have a dynamic daily dialogue with the Lord. But, in the end, it is coming to Him, by faith, lifting up our deepest longings in those quiet moments when God reveals His character, His love for us, His timing, His plans, and His purposes for our lives. And then, once again, you will look back and see the mighty things God has done.
Father in heaven, we praise You for always bending low to listen and hear us as we pray. Whether our prayers are just one sentence or lengthy, we ask today for a fresh start in our journey of prayer. May we never assume that You are too busy or that it is pointless when the answers don’t come quickly or to our liking. We will choose to trust Your sovereign will. We pray this in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
