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A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W (707) 3

The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119) is printed 40 times a year each Thursday except the first Thursday of each month by theReview and Herald® Publishing Association. Copyright © 1997. Periodicals postage paid at Hagerstown, MD. Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to Adventist Review, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Vol. 174, No.22, May 29, 1997.

Scriptures credited to ICB are quoted from the International Children’s Bible, New Century Version, copyright © 1983, 1986, 1988 by Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas 75039. Used by permission. Textscredited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Texts credited toNKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All right reserved.Bible texts credited to NRSV are from the New RevisedStandard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

Contents4 Meeting God Through . . .

B Y R E B E C C A B R I L L H A R T E T A L .

10 Walk in WonderB Y W I L L I A M G . J O H N S S O N

14 A Breath of Fresh PrayerB Y R A N D Y M A X W E L L

18 A Talk With Roger MorneauB Y E L L A R Y D Z E W S K I

22 Shoot for the MoonB Y S A R A H E . C O L E M A N

24 How Prayer WorksB Y B E A T R I C E S . N E A L L

30 Louder and ClearerB Y J O N D Y B D A H L

36 A Word in SeasonB Y G O R D O N B I E T Z E T A L .

38 Love Responding to LoveB Y D I A N E F O R S Y T H

From the Editors:Meet Him—Again

We all have them—lapses in ourdevotional life. It isn’t that we intendto lose touch with our Creator; wejust do. In a cruel bit of irony, theOne who gave us life often getspushed out of our lives. The guiltpiles up, and we shoulder itsubmissively. But we don’t have to.

God is love, and love is a lot ofthings: patient, kind, gentle. Andso—patiently, kindly, gently—Hewaits for the reunion: the crispmorning walk, the midafternoonprayer, the evening psalm. Just youand He. One on one.

A Book to Do You GoodBy William G. Johnsson

One of the biggest-impact books among Adventists this year isn’t availablefor cash.

In January several of us got together and came up with the idea of a book onanswers to prayer by some of the best-known writers in the church. I sent out 20invitations, asking if the writers would share from the heart something personal,something out of their experience.

Their responses came back and arewonderful. Some made me cry; somebrought laughter; all did me good.Jeannette Johnson shared her “most sacredexperience.” Dick Duerksen told howGod changed the words of his prayer;Hyveth Williams related how a crowdedjumbo jet ready for takeoff turned backto the gate–because of her. RandyMaxwell and Manuel Vasquez sharedaccounts of battles with cancer. RogerMorneau told of the copier that kepton copying long after the toner ranout.

All these and more in thiswonderful little book, God Answers Prayer.Robert Folkenberg’s amazing story of the $3,000 tractor-trailer, and answers to prayer that came to columnists Gina Spivey Brown andLoretta Parker Spivey, and to Charles Bradford, Chris Blake, Calvin Rock, andothers–20 in all.

This book is being read and quoted and devoured around the country. It will doyou good.

But it’s not for sale. You get it only as a gift from the Adventist Review by:(1) subscribing for the first time,(2) giving the Adventist Review as a gift subscription, or(3) adding on a year to your current subscription.Call 1-800-456-3991 or contact your Adventist Book Center and get your copy!

NBY REBECCA BRILLHART

Not long ago my prayers anddevotions had become flat.The words that formed onmy lips and in my thoughtsbarely

scratched the surface ofwhat I wanted to expressto God—and I didn’tknow how to releasethem.

After attending a prayerconference, I reluctantlydecided to keep a journal,a “chore” I had beenavoiding for 20 years. Thefirst few weeks were rough.I wrote pages and pageswithout sensing that I hadrevealed even a small partof myself.

And then I opened myBible to the Psalms—something themain speaker had encouraged duringthe conference. I began with the firstand decided I would rewrite each onein my own words so that I mightexperience the height and depth ofeach emotion found there—from joy todespair. It worked!

Instead of the dry desert it had been,my devotional life became “like a tree

PrayerM E E T I N G G O D T H R O U G H . . .

4 (708) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W

planted by the rivers of water” (Ps. 1:3). Istopped the obligatory form of prayer Ihad been practicing—“touching all thebases”—and wrapped a part of myself

around every word. By becoming more

willing to express anythought or emotionboldly to God, I entereda dynamic relationshipwith Him. Beingauthentic with myselfand God has become anintegral part of my beingable to be generous withothers. Perhaps that isthe other lesson I foundin the Psalms—that thesongs expressed insolitude are as relevant tothe community of

believers as they are to each individual.Staying connected is the key.

Rebecca Brillhart owns and operates her own business inColumbia, Maryland.

WBY LEE GUGLIOTTO

When I study the Bible,I’m reminded of theyoungster who heardthe sermon beginwhile

she played in thechurch’s mother’s room.Fascinated, she stared atthe corner speaker, thenturned to her motherand announced, “It’s thevoice of God.”

In a way, she was right.The Bible is God’s Word.Though written in humanlanguage, it is a super-natural book. As Solomonsays, God speaks to usthrough the sacred page:“For the Lord giveswisdom, and from hismouth come knowledge andunderstanding” (Prov. 2:6, NIV). Bylistening for His voice, we can hear—andlearn—the truth of every text.

So every time I study God’s Word, I tryto let Him speak for Himself. I do notcome to the Bible to prove something Ibelieve or to disprove what I do not. Icome to learn.

That’s why I set aside my Presbyterian

beliefs and put on spiritual ears whenevangelist Jac Colon challenged me toshow him from the Scriptures that theSabbath had changed from the seventh to

the first day of the week.Three days later Iadmitted that I couldnot—and eventually askedfor baptism into theSeventh-day AdventistChurch.

Bible study continuesto change my life. Eachtime I plunge into theancient Book with itsobsolete customs and old-fashioned personalities,the God who is the sameyesterday, today, andforever makes every wordfresh and relevant. He

comes alive with every transformingtruth. I really do hear His voice.

Lee Gugliotto is senior pastor of the College Heights Seventh-dayAdventist Church at Canadian Union College in Alberta with hiswife, Jolynn. His Handbook for Bible Study (Review andHerald) won the 1996 Gold Medallion from the EvangelicalChristian Publishers Association in the category of Bible study.

Bible StudyM E E T I N G G O D T H R O U G H . . .


IBY SHERLYN PANG

In my formative years I was entirelycomfortable keeping God at pew’slength. But as a young adult desper-ate to identify and meet my spiritualneeds, I’ve found

that God will go to greatlengths to seek me out.Specifically, He’s assem-bled several of my peerswho meet regularly tosearch spiritually.

This small group hasmade other believers realfor me. No longer arethey the one-dimensionalsmiles and handshakesthat greet me from weekto week—or the grungyrebel with the dis-interested look. Eachparticipant brings aunique perspective to our discussions. AsI hear their questions, their struggles, Ioften find that I share them.

I come to the group to get real answersfor my life. It’s where I seek God in anintimate way, where others will see my faceand hear me stutter when I don’t have theright words, where my silence will benoticed.

I’ve learned that God likes us to ask

questions and that He can give meanswers through the people there. ButI’m shocked to realize that God is alsousing me to help others. I’m no public

speaker or Bible scholar,but I do have my ownstory. Just as I’ve gaineddirection from someoneelse’s story, I know that Imust let down my guardand trust God when Hemoves me to tell mine.

I’m not alone in myquest to get closer to God;our small group has shownme that. By exposing ourthoughts and hopes, ouranger and fears, we can besupported in our weak-nesses and challenged inour moments of strength.

And amid this raw exchange, Godcontinues to pull me away from my frenzyand into His care.

Sherlyn Pang works as a recruiter at the Museum of Science inBoston, Massachusetts. Recently she helped organize Face It! (alay young adult working conference held in Laurel, Maryland,focused on empowering young adults to take responsibility for thespiritual state of their generation). The next Face It! conferenceis scheduled for the fall in South Bend, Indiana. For more infor-mation, contact Sherlyn at [email protected].

Small GroupsM E E T I N G G O D T H R O U G H . . .


I of song. I no longer have a need to sing forshow or the applause of humanity. Insteadof wanting money to be thrown at my feet,I now want to cast all of my praise and joy

at the feet of Jesus Christ.I am close to God when

my spirit sings the wordsof John the Baptist: “Hemust increase, but I mustdecrease.” And I pray thatmy audience will look notupon the frail humaninstrument that I am, butinstead, “Behold the Lambof God which taketh awaythe sins of the world.”

Charles D. Haugabrooks lives in MountDora, Florida, with his wife, Minerva,and their children, Esther, Ezra, andSherrard. He works as a humanresource specialist for a government

defense contractor and, on the side, has recorded four albums:Songs Reflecting Him, Pleading Heart, One Step Closer, andGod’s Touch Through You.

MusicM E E T I N G G O D T H R O U G H . . .


BY CHARLES D. HAUGABROOKS

Ican’t really say that I ever gotinto music. I do know that insome miraculous way, music gotinto me. Singing has always beenspontaneous and

enjoyable—especiallywhen I found the rightsongs to sing.

For years I thought Iwas singing the rightsongs. My mom diedwhen I was 3, and at thisage I began to sing. Mynephew, first cousin, and Iwould listen to and mimicvarious voices on ourradio or record player, andour relatives got excitedto hear the blendingvoices of their newlyformed “trio.” Before longwe were invited to sing in area churchesand talent shows. Sometimes the audiencewould even throw money onto the stage.Throughout high school and college Isang regularly in nightclubs: rock ’n’ roll,top 40, rhythm and blues, you name it.

Then the Lord Jesus Christ taught me anew song.

Listening to His voice and mimickingHis tones have taught me the true meaning

ABY JUDY LARSON

As I was growing up in thecountry near Paradise,California, my familyinstilled in me a love andrespect for

nature. My father, notedartist Clyde Provonsha,often incorporated ani-mals and nature in hisreligious works. One ofmy favorite paintings ishis Our RejoicingShepherd, which portraysJesus rejoicing uponfinding the lost lamb.This picture has been ablessing to people aroundthe world.

I consider my moveeight years ago fromcommercial art topainting wildlife to be providential.Doors opened that I never knew existed.As a result, I deal almost exclusivelywith people outside my denomination.Although I try never to be “preachy,”moments arise when I am asked why Iportray animals so “up close andpersonal.”

I respond that in the Bible we arecontinually asked to look at nature as a

pattern for conducting our own lives.That’s why I choose to portray theadmirable qualities of animals that Ibelieve God instilled in them—working

faithfully, relying on oneanother, protecting theiryoung, and havingoffspring only when theycan be cared for properly.

The hidden images inmy pictures are designedto provoke an awarenessin the observer that manyof God’s creatures live indanger and in need of ourprotection. As aChristian who believesthat what God createdHe deemed “good,” mygoal is for people to gaina greater appreciation

and respect for His handiwork.

Judy Larson is an internationally known wildlife artist specializ-ing in concealed imagery. She was named among the top 15 printartists of 1996 by U.S. Art magazine. She lives in Elsinore,California, with her children, Rakel, Erik, and Krister, as well astwo horses, three dogs, one cat, six fish, and two hermit crabs.She is published by Applejack Limited Editions of Vermont.

NatureM E E T I N G G O D T H R O U G H . . .


O

Walk in

Wonder

BY WILLIAM G. JOHNSSON

On a rainy-

shiny morn-

ing I walked

to Hawk’s

Nest beach

on the Australian coast north

of Sydney. The huge sweeping

arc of sand and surf split my

gaze as I came through the

dunes. Far to the south a head-

land terminated the curve; to

the north the beach stretched

on and out into infinity. Not


Open your eyes, open your ears—God is all around.


another soul on the

beach.

Stripping to swim shorts,

I began to run barefoot,

splashing through the

waves, headed north. The

booming of the surf filled

my ears, broken only by

intermittent cries of

wheeling sea birds and the

steady splash-splash-splash of

churning feet. A rain

squall came down; sea and

sky, surf and sand, merged

into an incandescent

whole. I was one with the

elements, one with God’s

good world.

Buoyed by the

experience, feeling very

close to God, I ran on and

on—one hour, two hours,

who knows for how long?

At times I sang and

shouted out above the

waves, praising God,

talking one-on-one with

Him.

The sound of the surf sinks deep intoyour soul and wells up years later. Youhear again the shrieking of the gulls andthe splash-splash-splash of dancing feet,and you know that God is infinitely goodand that you don’t treasure His earth halfas much as you should.

Open your eyes—God is all around.Open your ears—the air vibrates withHis voice. Open your heart—walk inwonder. Tread softly on this earth, forit is holy ground.

I believe regular times for prayerand Bible study sustain the Christianlife, that without them we willgradually dry up spiritually or wanderoff into false religion. For me,morning is key: start the day withGod, give Him my first thoughts andmy deepest desires. My mind worksbest early in the day, and I try to giveHim the best portion.

But these programmed periods ofpersonal devotion are only theappetizer of the feast God plans forus throughout the day—and night. Ibelieve these regular times of prayerand Bible study can open our eyesand ears to God so that we maywalk in wonder with Him everywaking moment.

We needn’t think that God is nearonly when we feel a spiritual “high.”If we get online with God firstthing—turn on the spiritual computerwhen we awaken—we can be sendingand receiving messages constantly.Surely this is what the apostle meantby his admonition “Pray withoutceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, KJV).

God is real; God is personal. Hecreated the universe and sustains everywhirling galaxy and every wrigglingamoeba, but more—He walks andtalks with humanity. He wants to bewith us, to be our best friend. “Havethem make a sanctuary for me, and Iwill dwell among them,” He instructedthe ancient Israelites (Ex. 25:8),* andHe promised: “I will be their God, andthey will be my people” (Jer. 31:33).

To know God—intimately, personally—is the essence of Christianity. To liveas Paul described—“I am crucified withChrist: nevertheless I live; yet not I, butChrist liveth in me: and the life which I

now live in the flesh I live by the faithof the Son of God, who loved me, andgave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20, KJV)—this is the highest experience open tothe human heart.

People who don’t believe find thisconcept incomprehensible, foolish.But we who have taken the Lord atHis word, who have tasted and foundthat He is good, have discovered thatHis word is true, that Christianityworks, that in Christ Jesus everydivine promise is Yes! and Amen!(see 2 Cor. 1:20).

In theological terms, the personalexperience of God, being constantlyonline with Him, reflects the teachingof the Holy Spirit. Although thedoctrine is mysterious, the one God isalso the three—the Father, from whomall things come to be and to whom allreturn; the Son, eternal and self-existent, who came to this earth towalk in our shoes and to die in ourplace; and the Holy Spirit, who is Godwith us, God in us, working out Hiswill and lovingly guiding us.

Just before Jesus, the Son incarnate,left this earth, He promised: “And Iwill ask the Father, and he will giveyou another Counselor to be with youforever—the Spirit of truth. The worldcannot accept him, because it neithersees him nor knows him. But youknow him, for he lives with you andwill be in you” (John 14:16, 17).

Then Jesus said: “I will not leaveyou as orphans; I will come to you.Before long, the world will not seeme anymore, but you will see me”(verses 18, 19). So although the HolySpirit is not Christ, He is thepresence of Jesus, just as real and justas wonderful as if Jesus were in theroom with us.

Godly men and women have knownthis reality throughout the ages. Theyhave found in God their deepestlongings, their highest aspirations. Theyhave sung with the psalmist: “As thedeer pants for streams of water, so mysoul pants for you, O God. My soulthirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps.42:1). They have cried out with Paul:“Whatever was to my profit I nowconsider loss for the sake of Christ. . . . I

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want to know Christ and the power ofhis resurrection and the fellowship ofsharing in his sufferings” (Phil. 3:7-10).

Ellen White, pioneer and shaper ofthe Seventh-day Adventist Church,knew God personally. She kept onlinewith the Lord; she walked in wonder.Over and over she called, and calls,the Adventist people to “heartreligion.” Listen to the breathtakingideal she holds out before us: “If weconsent, He will so identify Himselfwith our thoughts and aims, so blendour hearts and minds into conformityto His will, that when obeying Himwe shall be but carrying out our ownimpulses” (The Desire of Ages, p.668). “Godliness—godlikeness—isthe goal to be reached” (Education,p. 18).

How do you walk in wonder?Begin the day with God—that’s

the first and most important point.But after that, and throughout theday:

1. Look for God in the ordinary.When you stand back and

consider the life of Jesus, whatstrikes you is how ordinary it was. Ohyes, it had extraordinary moments,beginning with the miracle of birth

and ending with themiracle ofresurrection. Butthink: the greatmajority ofour

Lord’s life was occupied in thehumdrum, nonspectacular tasks andduties of life. He spent a full 30 of His33 years in Nazareth—going about Hisjob as a carpenter, eating, sleeping,bathing, talking. Even after He left Hishometown for three-plus years ofitinerant ministry, most of His timewas taken up walking from place toplace, simply being with people, livingas a human.

Yet Jesus’ ordinariness glowed withthe divine. Constantly He communedwith the Father—sometimes all night

in prayer, but always online. His facewas open to the sparrows and theravens, to the anemones that grewwild on the Galilean hillsides, to thesmell of the rain and the whip of thebreeze. He walked in wonder.

God walked this earth. Peoplesaw Him but didn’t see; theyheard but didn’t hear. Their

hearts weren’t open to God. Sodon’t be surprised if today the

crowds don’t see and hear Him. Butyou may, and I may, if we walk inwonder.

Toward the close of the Old Testa-ment you come upon two amazing

verses. In a description of whatIsrael might have become if

she had opened herself toGod’s will for her, youread: “On that day

HOLY TO THE LORDwill be inscribed on the bells

of the horses, and the cooking pots inthe Lord’s house will be like the sacredbowls in front of the altar. Every pot inJerusalem and Judah will be holy to the

Lord Almighty” (Zech. 14:20, 21).Your work may be menial, or it may

be professional. But if you walk inwonder, even the dishes in the sink orthe video teleconference may glowwith the presence of the living Christ.

2. Look for divine serendipities.God has a delightful way of

surprising us. He comes to us in themost unexpected ways, at the mostunexpected times, in the mostunexpected places.

Remember Jacob, that smoothie,too clever by half? His schemes wentawry, his world fell apart, and he hadto flee for his life. Alone in the bush,feeling a fugitive from the family ofGod, he lay down to sleep with hishead against a stone. But in the nighthe dreamed of a stairway reachingfrom earth to heaven, with the angelsof God ascending and descending onit and the Lord above it all. WhenJacob woke up, he said to himself,“Surely the Lord is in this place, andI was not aware of it” (Gen. 28:10-19). Setting up a pillar, Jacob called itBethel—house of God. I remember how moved I was at the

first symphonic concert I attended. Ihad no inkling that the great musicwould unleash creative energies withinme, galvanize me to attack tasks that Ihad felt too burdened to contemplate,send me out into the world with aheightened awareness of God. Sincethat experience I have turned againand again to music for refreshment,comfort, and inspiration.

I vividly recall also the sense ofwonder when I saw my firstborn, a son,emerge from the womb, and two yearslater, a daughter. The world held itsbreath; time stood still. In the presenceof new life I felt the mystery of ourcoming and our going, of time andeternity. We are bound up with the lifeof God, in whom we have been, are,and will be.

I live in Maryland, and as I write,the deer population is multiplyingalong the eastern seaboard of theUnited States. There are deer in woodsbehind the street next to ours; I raninto a deer on crowded Interstate 95.

God comes to usat the most

unexpected times.


Deer are everywhere, but you have toknow how to look for them. You haveto look for horizontal lines among thevertical, and expect to find deer. Theyare there—if you can see them.

3. Look for God in the darkness.This may be the best news of all:

God comes to us in the night as wellas at noonday. Even when, crushedand broken, we don’t want to liveanother day. Even when, bowed downby worry and care, we don’t want totrudge another mile.

Jesus—God of ordinary grace. Butthink of the last moments of Jesus, ofthat lacerated body crying out for waterfrom the cross, then that moan ofdereliction, of God-forsakenness—“MyGod, my God, why hast thou forsakenme?” (Matt. 27:46, KJV). Here is theSaviour of the world drinking the cupof our woe, our pain, our guilt, to thelast dregs. At that moment He couldnot see beyond the portals of the tomb.

But God was there, even at thesoul’s darkest midnight. God wasthere, although bleeding body andfevered mind sought to deny it. Godwas there, suffering with the Son.

It’s hard to believe from the bellyof the whale. It’s easy to doubt whenour house comes tumbling and ourbodies are so broken we don’t knowwho we are or what we are saying.But God is there.

Friday afternoon Jesus died inagony. But Sunday morning Jesus rosein glory.

Faith is the finger reaching outthrough the darkness, stretching totouch God. Faith is the confidencethat the God who has walked with usin wonder all our days has notforsaken us now. ■

* All Scripture references come from theNew International Version unless otherwiseindicated.

William G. Johnsson is editor of the AdventistReview.

W

A Breath ofFresh Prayer

BY RANDY MAXWELL

When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, choosing to pray—

to be with Him—is often the greatest battle. I may have the

best of intentions, the warmest feelings, but I must choose to

talk to God every day. There are no shortcuts.

Once we’ve made the choice, however, what can we do

to shake ourselves out of the doldrums and experience some fresh, new approaches to

God in prayer?

Pray whenever you think about it. Jesus, in answer to a theological question put to

Him by the woman at the well, replied, “A time is coming and has now come when the

true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of

worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23).1

The Samaritans (and the Jews, for that matter) were hung up on the right place to

worship. They were sure that the true God could be approached only at the “right” spot.

Hence the Samaritan woman’s statement: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but

you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem” (verse 20).


Seven ways to invigorate your communication with God


Jesus adjustedher attitude byrevealing the truthabout God—thatHe is spirit andnot confined byhuman-madetemples or times.God is an ever-present reality.And true wor-shipers of the trueGod can makecontact with Him anytime,anywhere.

Don’t make themistake of thinkingyou can pray onlyat certain timesand in certainplaces. Pray whenyou think about it.In your car, in ameeting, in bedwhen you can’tsleep, as you mowthe lawn or washdishes, whilebrushing yourteeth.

The naturalman or womandoesn’t desireprayer. “You,however, arecontrolled not by the sinful nature butby the Spirit, if the Spirit of God livesin you” (Rom. 8:9). If it’s on our mindsto pray, it’s the Holy Spirit calling.Don’t put the King on hold!

I used to fall into the trap oftelling myself, “I’ll pray about thatlater.” I’ll be mowing the lawn,thinking of someone I need to prayfor. I’ll mentally review the details ofthat person’s need and even rehearsewhat I plan to say later during my“prayer time.” It’s then that I catchmyself and smile at how foolish it isfor me to pray later about somethingI’m thinking about now!

If you kick yourself for forgettingto pray for people whom you’vepromised to pray for, learn to praywhen God puts it on your mind—

when you think about it.Pray about a variety of things.

My wife and I used to talk and prayabout the new minivan our family offive so desperately needed. Todaywe’re praising the Lord for the GrandCaravan we cart our “tribe” in.Before the answer to our prayers wasrealized, however, Suzette and Italked about it a lot—but it wasn’t allwe talked about.

We talked (and still do) about thekids, schooling, the church, vacationplans, family members, music, bills,romance, TV programs, work, etc.And guess what? We don’t try to talkabout everything all in one sitting. Wepace ourselves. Talking about this now,that later; this thing today, the otherthing tomorrow.

Do the samewith prayer. Don’tpray about thesame things all thetime, and don’t tryto cover everythingin one prayer. Varyyour conversation.Pray about thesupervisor whogives you grieftoday, and savetime for themissionariestomorrow.

Pray differenttypes of prayers. Trypraying a prayer ofpraise without anypetitions. Put awayyour shopping listand just spend timepraising God forwho He is in yourlife.

Or sing yourprayer to God.Paul admonishes usto “sing psalms,hymns andspiritual songs withgratitude in yourhearts to God”(Col. 3:16). Thereare times when wepray by singing

favorite praise hymns, such as “GreatIs Thy Faithfulness” or “I Love You,Lord.”

During sung prayers I sometimesexperience the presence of God moreprofoundly than when I’m at my“regular” prayers.

Pray without words. You don’talways have to have something to sayin order to be with God. I know thismay seem odd to some, but sometimesit’s perfectly all right to “be still, andknow that [He is] God” (Ps. 46:10).

One morning not long ago I had adeeply moving encounter with Godwithout saying a word. It was one ofthose extremely rare times when boththe house and my spirit were quiet. Isat in the stillness and just allowed myheart to be an open book to God. As I

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sat there with the first rays of dawnspilling onto my office carpet throughthe tiny slits in the miniblinds, I knewI was in the presence of God.

Don’t be afraid of silence. In ourculture we drown out silence everychance we get. We feel compelled toquench quiet with sound. TV, radios,CD players, Walkman stereos, GameBoy video games, our own chatter.On airplanes, while exercising, atthe dinner table, in the restroom,and on elevators, we have to havesome kind of music, noise, or otherauditory distraction grinding awayin the background.

Learn to “be still, and know.”Quiet can be profound. Don’t feellike you “fail” if words escape youoccasionally when you pray.Remember, there are times when“we do not know what we ought topray for, but the Spirit himselfintercedes for us with groans thatwords cannot express. And he whosearches our hearts knows the mind ofthe Spirit, because the Spiritintercedes for the saints in accordancewith God’s will” (Rom. 8:26, 27).

Keep your prayer time and Biblestudy time separate. This suggestionmay get me in trouble, but it’s worthtrying.

It’s been my experience that when Ibring quarterlies, commentaries, andmultiple translations of the Bible intomy devotional time, I spend little timein prayer and much more time in study.

Prayer is primarily meeting withGod. Reading and studying during thistime may not always be required.Whether you’re just being quiet withHim or focusing on your own needs,you’re still meeting with Him. This isnot wasted time.

Pray for your spouse. Not in ageneral, vague way, but in specificterms, claiming certain Bible promisesfor him or her that are tailored toindividual needs.

I like to do this for Suzette andsometimes will leave her a note withthe verse that I’m claiming for her onit. She saved one of these notes andkept it on the bathroom mirror, whereshe could see it, for several days. It

read: For you today: That your delightwill be in the law of the Lord, that you willmeditate on it day and night. That youwill be like a tree planted by streams ofwater, yielding fruit in season withoutwithering. And that whatever you do willprosper (Ps. 1:2, 3). Love ya.

You love your spouse. He or shehas struggles, frustrations, goals,

hopes, and needs that you probablydon’t know about. Take those thingsto God in prayer. Lift your husband orwife before the Father, and ask Himto meet his or her needs according toHis unfailing love.

Search the Word for specific versesthat fit his or her situation, and praythose verses back to God, inserting yourspouse’s name in the appropriate place. Idid this recently for my wife while I wasout of town and she was nervouslyawaiting the results of some medicaltests back home. We were both on edge,and I went to the Bible for a word ofencouragement from the Lord. I found itin Psalm 33:18-22. I claimed thepromise for Suzette and then prayed itback to God something like this: Suzettewaits in hope for You, Lord; be her helpand her shield today. Let her heart rejoice inYou, and help her to trust in Your holyname. May Your unfailing love rest uponus both, O Lord, even as we put our hopein You (verses 20-22).

Later I called home and told her Iwas praying this promise for her. Icould tell she was pleased. Nothingbrings you closer together as a couplethan praying earnestly and specificallyfor the man or woman who shares yourlife. (You can pray for your childrenthe same way.)

And singles, the absence of aspouse doesn’t indicate the absence of

other individuals who love you andneed your prayers. Claim promises onbehalf of your best friend, coworker,family member, nieces and nephews,or pastor, and let them know that youare praying for them. Any relationshipwill be strengthened by this prayerfulact of love.

Pray (or speak) a blessing on yourfamily members. In the sixth chapterof Numbers we come across thepriestly blessing that Aaron and hissons were instructed to bless theIsraelites with: “The Lord said toMoses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons,“This is how you are to bless theIsraelites. Say to them: ‘The Lordbless you and keep you; the Lordmake his face shine upon you and begracious to you; the Lord turn his facetoward you and give you peace.’ ” So

they will put my name on the Israelites, andI will bless them’” (Num. 6:22-27).

Did you see that last part? Godsaid that the priests—Aaron and hissons, in this case—were to put theLord’s name (the promises that areinherent in His attributes, Hisnature, and His character) on thechildren of Israel by speaking thesewords of blessing.

As recipients of the new covenant,we who have received Christ as ourSaviour are part of a new breed ofhumans on earth. Regardless of race orgender, we have been made into “achosen people, a royal priesthood, aholy nation, a people belonging toGod” (1 Peter 2:9). Additionally, weare the spiritual children of Abraham,inheritors of the promises to Israel.These two facts provide us with thecommission, qualification, andauthority to bless, as priests under theold covenant did.

My wife and I have done thistogether. With our hands placed gentlyon the heads of our girls, I’ve prayedthis blessing on them: “Candice,Crystal, Danielle: The Lord bless youand keep you; the Lord make his faceshine upon you and be gracious to you;the Lord turn his face toward you andgive you peace. Amen.”

You can’t imagine the intensity ofhugs and beaming faces that come

Don’t be afraid ofsilence.


after a prayer like this. Your childrenwon’t forget, and neither will you. It’snot something to be done casually. Butthis is what a life of prayer is all about.It’s not just words and requests androutine. It’s love and power andrelationships and heart and soul.

One word of caution: be sure yourlife supports whatever your lips speak.Words spoken in blessing areinvalidated when a child (or spouse)hasn’t sensed the daily touch, concern,interest, availability, and care of theblesser. We must build a platform ofrelationship from which to bless.Remember, the life we lead backs upthe words we speak.2

Pray through the newspaper. Forthose who have trouble coming upwith enough things to pray about andfor those who, like many people, areaddicted to the morning newspaper,this can revolutionize your prayer life.The paper is full of needs, crises, hurts,and troubles that should cause theheart of the Christian to break. Whatfertile ground for prayer!

As Adventists with an end-time

mind-set, we often look at the newswith a prophetic sense of inevitability.“More signs of the times,” we say. “Jesusmust be coming soon.” Sometimes our“sign watching” instills a subtleindifference in our attitudes towardsuffering humanity—or at the veryleast, a sense of helplessness. But thereis something we can do. We can pray.

Each news story represents lives, realpeople who are hurting and desperate,and in need of Jesus. Read the paperwith the eyes and heart of Christ, andask God to intervene mercifully.

So there you have it. Seven sug-gestions for putting new passioninto your personal prayer jour-

ney with God. Not an exhaustive listby any stretch. You may already beexperimenting with several creativeforms of prayer that aren’t even men-tioned here. Great. Go for it. What-ever you do, though, pray. Don’t justread about it or mentally assent to it.Pray. Be real. Be consistent. Be cre-ative. But above all, pray. There’s somuch in store for you if you do.

And as you do, receive this blessingfrom God:

The Lord bless you and keep you;The Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;The Lord turn his face toward youAnd give you peace.Amen. ■

1 All Scripture references come from theNew International Version.

2 The thoughts expressed in this action pointare credited to Pastor Jack Hayford from a tapedsermon entitled “The Importance of BlessingOur Children: Passing Our Spiritual InheritanceOn to the Next Generation” (Ventura, Calif.:Gospel Light, 1991).

Randy Maxwell, formerlycoeditor of ParentTalk mag-azine, is currently director ofpublicity and public relationsfor Pacific Press PublishingAssociation. He is a frequent prayer con-ference speaker and seminar presenter.This article was adapted from his book IfMy People Pray.

What? Pray for Larry Flynt?

BY RENÉ ALEXENKO EVANSFor whom do you pray? Your sister and her husband and their struggle with

infertility? Your best friend’s father and his unhopefuldiagnosis? The publishers of pornographic magazines?

Say what? I work with a freelance graphic designer who’s obviously

a Christian. It says so right on his business cards. Proverbs3:6. He works out of his home, and when I stop in, hisopen Bible is usually sitting on the table or kitchen counter.His framed baptismal certificate hangs over his desk.

Last week I dropped off a direct-mail piece for owners ofhigh-performance boats, and as we talked about the job, Imentioned a magazine for “hot boat” owners published byLarry Flynt.

“Something’s about to happen with Larry Flynt,” he said. “Oh, really?” I asked, with no clue as to what he meant.“God’s gonna reach out and grab him.”“Oh?” I said again, a teeny bit incredulously.“Yes,” he said firmly. “Larry Flynt is going to give his life

to the Lord. My wife and I prayed for him and Hugh Hefnerby name this morning.”

Now, to be perfectly honest, it had never even occurredto me to pray for either Larry or Hugh. Occasionally thename of an almost-forgotten acquaintance pops into myhead, along with a strong conviction to pray for that person.But in general I have a hard enough time remembering topray for people I know and like.

But what would happen if I—if you—were to break out ofour comfort zone and take intercessory prayer to a newlevel? What if we were to decide that no one is off-limits?Even people we don’t like. Even people who have wronged,mistreated, or assaulted us or someone we love. Evenpeople who do such vile, disgusting things as publishpornographic magazines. Especially people like that.

What would happen if just one Larry Flynt gave his life tothe Lord? Imagine the potential in such a high-profileperson. Sound far-fetched? I’m sure the disciples thoughtthe same thing about Saul.

At the very least we would become more like Jesus, whowith His dying words added to His prayer list the very menwho were nailing Him to the cross.

René Alexenko Evans is a part-time public rela-tions consultant and a full-time wife and momnear Nashville, Tennessee.

R

A Talk WithRoger Morneau


ELLA M. RYDZEWSKI

Roger Morneau, a Seventh-day Adventist, has written three top-selling

books on prayer as well as his biography.* In preparing our special edi-

tion on prayer and spirituality, we felt it appropriate to include him. As

the staff discussed how best to conduct the interview, I remembered that

my upcoming vacation in California included going through San

Francisco, not far from Morneau’s home. I called him and made an appointment. I also

mentioned to him my discomfort with (and usual avoidance of) flying. He prayed for me,

just as some of my friends were doing.

My husband and I arrived in San Francisco after a bumpy but pleasant trip and not

even a twinge of my lifelong phobia. We found Roger and Hilda Morneau living in a

small apartment in Modesto. It was in one of those two-story complexes, so familiar to

California, built close together with sidewalks lined with rich, green foliage. The

Morneaus greeted us like old friends. After visiting awhile, we began the interview.


This article focuses on inter-cessory prayer. Is there oneincident that started you on thisministry?

In 1984 I was admitted to thehospital in Niagara Falls. I went inon a Saturday night with congestiveheart failure. They worked to keepme alive. I was next to the nurse’sstation and could hear what wasgoing on in the unit. About 8:00p.m. on Sunday I said to myself, A lotof people here won’t make it overnight.

I began to pray for these people. Isaid, “Lord, these poor mortals aregoing to their graves early.” I talkedto the Lord for them, asking for theirforgiveness and His blood over them.From then on they began to improve.

You asked God to forgive their sins?Yes, I always do this. I was in the

Woolworth parking lot one day doing awork report. A Mercury parked in frontof me, and the husband and wife werefighting. The man yelled profanities athis wife. Without speaking a word, I saidin my mind, Lord, please have mercy onthis man, because I think he hasn’t had hissins forgiven and doesn’t know the merits ofYour blood over him. May the evil spiritsstop harassing him. In 20 seconds the manapologized to his wife and said he wouldnever talk like that again. She seemedsurprised and apologized for her diggingwords, and they went off smiling andhugging each other.

Sounds as though you were doingintercessory prayer before 1984.

I prayed for people on my job. WhenI did that, the Holy Spirit would havethe people open up to me. But thisWoolworth incident was the beginningof a new experience in my prayer life. Itold the Lord, “What a gloriousexperience You allowed me to have. Iwant to pray in a way that will honorYou. You taught me today the mostbeautiful understanding that I could haveon the power of intercessory prayer.” Ithanked the Lord and cried, I was somoved over this experience.

I wanted to see the Holy Spirit workon the lives of wicked and degradedpeople who have no use for God. I hadseen good results before for some people.But after that I saw more. I learned by

experience how God honors certainprayers and not others—I guess thissounds weird.

Tell us what you mean.I found that I do not pray for anyone

unless I have prayed for myself. I need topray that my own sins be forgiven andacknowledge His claim on me throughHis death.

Then I pray for the people. I pray thattheir sins be forgiven, and ask Jesus toappropriate His divine blood shed atCalvary for their salvation. Then I ask tosee the Holy Spirit move in and dosomething special for these people. SeeThe Desire of Ages, page 671.

What is a typical prayer session foryou?

Every day I receive a stack of mailthrough our post office box. I don’t havetime to read them all, but Hilda readsthem to me while I eat. Hilda is my right-hand person. We take these letters andopen the Bible to Matthew 27—thepower chapter of the Bible. Years back Iread it—now I know it by heart.

We put these letters on the open Bible.We commune all morning about thenames. This has been done with all 17,000on the list. I usually do the praying, sayingsomething like “Dear Jesus, we are sohappy here today. We are privileged to beintercessors in this land of the enemy.” Weask, “How have we offended You in wordsor deeds?” And we say, “Thank You forYour death on Calvary for our salvation.”Sometimes I say, “We are by nature verysinful, and our righteousness is like filthyrags. Lord, please clothe me with the robe

of Your righteousness as I come to theHoly Father.” I know I’m beinglistened to by the precious Redeemer,Father, and Holy Spirit. A lot of usdon’t understand the value of theTrinity.

We say, “Dear Jesus, we have readthese letters, and some have made uscry.” We refer to specific problems.“They need Your help, not mine—grace, divine strength, and Yoursacrifice on Calvary. A lot of themdon’t understand that their spiritual,mental, emotional, and physicalfaculties need re-creating. So manykids have been destroyed by drugs andother things. They have the capacity

for destruction, as we all do. They need tobe re-created.” Christ didn’t give up onpeople, even though many brought diseaseon themselves. He cared for their spiritualdisease as well.

So you see people as whole beingswho need re-creating mentally andemotionally as well?

Yes, in the field of human behaviorwe find that extremism and fanaticismcripple the intelligence. People’s mindsneed to be re-created according to God’sstandards. They need to appreciate whatGod is doing for them. When the fallenheart becomes attuned with God’s heartof love, things happen. They areministered to according to their faith.

Today people are fascinated with thesupernatural. Demon spirits areconditioning people. Through hypnotismthey can take control of the mentalcapacities. And demons have thecapacity to flash false thoughts intominds and create strong feelings. Theycan make people miserable, and theylove to play with Christians. But peoplestill have choices.

What about inherited weaknesses? These also need to be re-created. The

Lord says He has given all a measure offaith. Many have thrown it to the winds.They don’t love God and couldn’t careless. We get so many letters from parents.

I noticed it’s difficult to get you byphone.

Until 1996 people got our numberwhen they asked. But I can’t do itanymore because of my heart. I got callsfrom Australia and Europe in the middle


of the night and sometimes slept onlytwo hours. I didn’t have as muchpressure then—now I am writing books.

How do you handle all the mail?I asked the Lord how to keep the

mail from getting out of control. I wasblessed with a computer three years ago.But I needed help.

I am on Social Security; my wife is alsoand gets a small pension. When I becamedisabled at 59, I had no company pensionbecause of the way they had formulatedthe contract. We could meet ourobligations, but had no way to pay for helpwith the computer. I talked to the Lordabout getting a computer analyst to helpme. That was 10:00 a.m. Monday. By11:00 a.m. a letter had come from Angwinfrom a man who had read one of mybooks. He told me that if I owned acomputer and needed help, he’d fit hisschedule to spend some time at my home.I called the man and said, “You are a directanswer to prayer. I don’t have any money,but could pay your gas. You can stay withus.” This man blessed my life, and I nowhave 37 buttons that do beautiful things.

I have stored 100 letters for certainneeds, so I don’t have to start fromscratch with my answers. Then I have aspecial two-page letter that givesencouragement. I let people know I ampraying with and not just for them. I have500 paragraphs that I can add or replacein the letter. I also use a one-page letterwhen the pressures are great.

What about postage?I spend $60 to $75 a month. I use

writing royalties to pay phone bills andpostage. When I run out of money,someone will send me just enough inthe mail.

You don’t ask for funds?Nope. I say, “Lord, You know my

needs.”Do you keep a list of these 17,000

names?At first we had a beautiful red book.

Then we started putting the letters inboxes, then in stacked trays that I callmy “prayer tower.”

How can you pray for 17,000people?

It started with one person. Afterabout 50 I knew I couldn’t do all ofthem. I think of my intercession like the

feeding of the 5,000. When I pray, Ibelieve God is attentive to all thesepeople. Jesus said bless the food and passit on—He didn’t ask them to re-create it.I pray for the Lord to focus my attentionon persons who need special grace attimes. People I haven’t heard from in fiveyears will pop into my mind. I understandthis as an SOS for a soul in distress.

How do you tell people to start topray regularly in our fast-paced world?

I often send a one-page articleentitled “A Four-Minute Audience WithChrist.” A teacher wrote me and said tohave it put in the Adventist Review. Isaid, “If the Lord wants articles run inthe Adventist Review, He will have themcontact me. I have already talked to Himabout it.” But she said she would send itin anyway.

Give us an example of an answeredprayer by letter.

There was a woman with fivechildren—professionals and all out of thechurch. I gave her encouragement andsent her the two-page letter.

I said, “You must promise me that youwill not try to do the work of the HolySpirit. In bringing your children back tothe church, don’t talk to them aboutreligion. If they bring it up, that’s OK,but they have had more of it than theycan stand. They probably have spiritualindigestion.”

Six months later she phoned and saidit is working—three of her children

came back to church, two are beingbaptized, and the family of the other oneis attending.

How do you remember all thequotes you use?

When I became an AdventistChristian, I realized I had to break frommy past. I had to keep my mind onheavenly things, so I started memorizingverses. I prayed about them first. Imemorized, while driving or walking thedog, more than 2,000 over the years,many in French.

Tell us about the photocopymachine. That’s a story some find tooincredible to be true.

The Lord produced toner for a littlemore than two years. We moved here inApril of 1992. I was working on a book,and my copier ran out of toner. (I keepcopies of all letters sent out.) We didn’thave the $70 for a new cartridge. I talkedto my Problem Solver. “Please honor meby creating toner so I can use my copiertill the next check.” I told Hilda we weregoing to see a miracle. We went to thecopier and put the power on, put a letterdown, and made a clear, sharp copy. Isaid, “Glory to God.” Hilda was sostunned she couldn’t say anything for amoment. After the three weeks wasabout done, I had my check.

At that time I had a lot of lettersfrom people stressed over the time oftrouble. One woman said her ministertalked a lot about the subject, and itstressed her daughter. I told the Lord,“Lord, have the Holy Spirit create tonerfor several months, and I will tell peoplethat this miracle took place as anassurance that He would be with Hispeople during the time of trouble.” Themachine continued for 721 days. I had aplaque made for the copier. Then oneday I made the mistake of doing 130pages without putting the lid down, andit caught fire. That was the end of thecopier. Someone donated another one.

Tell us about the new book youhave been working on.

It’s called Beware of Angels. Angelscome in two kinds. I had experience withevil angels in the 1940s. In the past fewyears people, even Adventists, have beenseeking out angels, and they haveappeared. Among other things the book

Roger Morneau and the “Prayer Tower”

tells of two women in Oregon. I inter-viewed them in prison. They felt thetime to see angels had come. Their desirewas self-motivated. The angels came—beautiful creatures—and graduallydeceived them into killing two people.

I know you write to inspire peopleto pray. Are you hopeful that this ishappening?

What is happening in certain parts ofthe world is wonderful. In 1995 a Koreanevangelist stopped by on his way toKorea and China. He wanted to translatethe prayer books into Korean. Twomonths ago he came back. He said theLord has blessed me. He told us people inKorea were praying and having divineinterventions. He also went to China,and the same thing happened. He flew toJapan, and they had the same experience.Buddhists don’t change overnight, butwhen people pray for their relatives,many become Christians.

A woman in Saudi Arabia writesfrequently and tells me how a number

of Muslims attend church as a result ofprayer.

I don’t ask for royalties in otherlanguages. I’m not a trained writer—I’m just a person telling people whatJesus has done in my life. I’m an oldguy brought up as a French Catholic inCanada. My editor understands me.Recently he had a surprise for me. Bymidsummer the prayer books will have

Adventist terms taken out and beprinted as one book for public andChristian bookstores. The Spirit of Godis doing some marvelous things.

We finished our interview, then visitedawhile, and Roger Morneau prayedsomething like this: “Now that You haveforgiven our sins and iniquities and haveappropriated to us the divine merits ofCalvary for our salvation, may the HolySpirit surround these people with a gloriousatmosphere. Do something special for themtoday.” And He did.

On the flight home I decided I ratherliked airplanes. Was that a coincidence? Idon’t think so. ■

* Incredible Answers to Prayer, More IncredibleAnswers to Prayer, A Trip Into the Supernatural, andWhen You Need Incredible Answers to Prayer.

Ella Rydzewski is editorialassistant at the AdventistReview.

Roger and Hilda Morneau

Available at your local Adventist Book Center or call 1-800-765-6955.Visit us at www.pacific press.com ©1997 Pacific Press Publishing Association 210/70590 Prices subject to change

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Shoot forthe Moon


Finally, oh, finally, Dad removed both boots and setthem against the wall. Carefully he adjusted their straylaces and after an eternity of silence stood up and lookedme full in the face.

“Why do you want old boards?” he asked softly. Icaught my breath, prepared to suggest even the rottenboards he’d already thrown away. Before I could answer,however, he continued, “Why do you want old boardswhen you know I can get you new ones? You wantsomewhere to write, don’t you? Why not make it special?Shoot for the moon.” He flashed me a fatherly I’m-older-and-wiser-but-I-love-you-anyway smile and started downthe hall toward his bedroom.

“Wait!” I grabbed his flannel sleeve just in time. “Whatdo you mean, shoot for the moon?”

Our conversation that chilly January evening sparkeda creative streak in both of us that continued intothe summer. For a week of evenings we pored over

various designs for a small, weather-tight structure. Dad’soptimism left me awestruck. “Why not have a porch?” heasked one day. Later he announced that if I would dig thetrench, he’d install electricity and a phone. And when Imentioned cutting a few holes in the walls to let in thelight, he simply scoffed. “You’re going to have real windows,Sarah. With glass panes.”

The next months are marked in my memory bymilestones such as: deciding on a color to paint theexterior of my little cottage, choosing the perfect materialfor my curtains, and carpet-sale hunting for the ideal color

We both wanted the same thing, but Dad’s vision was much more inspired than mine.

DBY SARAH E. COLEMAN

DAD,” I VENTURED ONE WINTER EVENINGwhen he came in from the shop, “can I ask yousomething?”

He looked up from the work boot he wasuntying. His curly red beard held tiny frozen

water crystals that sparkled in the lamplight. “Sure.”I took a deep breath and looked away, hoping he couldn’t

read the hope in my face. Trying desperately to sound casual,I posed my case. “Well, you know how sometimes theweather gets nasty?”

He nodded, his blue eyes brimming with laughter.“I mean, even in the summer. It just rains and rains and,

well, I was wondering if you could give me a few old boardsto make a roof with.”

To my surprise, Dad began to chuckle. I turned to facehim, afraid he’d already rejected my request. “Just a roof?” heasked. “What about walls?” Dad, a general contractor bytrade, couldn’t resist asking the obvious question.

“Well, uh, I didn’t think you’d have time to help meout,” I stammered. “Besides, I just want something to keepme dry when I’m writing outside.” At 12 I already knewthat writing had become my passion, and I longed forsomewhere private to conduct my experimental scribblings.

“I could put it way off in the ‘boonies’ and it wouldn’tbother anyone . . .” My voice trailed off as Dad bent over hisboots again. Was this the rejection I expected?

I stared at the top of his head, noticing the ridges andvalleys his curly hair formed against it. What was hethinking? Shifting my weight to the other foot, I waiteddejectedly for my verdict.


and size of remnant.But nothing in my craziest dreams

prepared me for the miracle that metmy eyes late that summer. After weeksof oil-based paint, rough-wood slivers,and carpet-fitting dilemmas, I openedthe front door into perfect bliss.Situated near a stream and surroundedby cottonwoods, the house evensmelled of nature. One window facedthe trees; the other greeted the sunset.Through my curtains sunlight laced itsway across a broad, smooth desk, asturdy bed, and freshly painted walls.Beneath the window an electricalsocket waited expectantly to poweranything I plugged in. More than I’dever dared to hope, this little writer’scottage left me breathless and smiling.

“Thanks, Dad,” I said, turningtoward where he stood on my spaciousporch.

He smiled. “All you need now is alawn chair.” I laughed and followedhim toward our family house. “No, I’mserious!” he continued. “A lawn chairand a little stone walkway would benice. We could put a birdhouse justoutside your window . . .”

Shoot for the moon. So often I

approach Godwith requeststhat insult Hisabilities. I feelas though Ishouldn’tbother Himwith myconcerns. I’lltake whateverYou have leftover, I promise,but don’t let meinterrupt Yourwork.

But I amHis work!More thananything else,my Fatherwants to makeme happy.What couldthrill Himmore than theopportunity to

become deeply involved in my life?If I restrict Him to the role of aused-goods supplier, He won’toverstep those boundaries. But if Itake His advice and “shoot for themoon,” I turn Him loose on theproject of His dreams.

God has limitless capabilities. Johnreminded me of this when I read hiswords: “This is the confidence we havein approaching God: that if we askanything according to his will, hehears us. And if we know that he hearsus—whatever we ask—we know that wehave what we asked of him” (1 John5:14, 15, NIV). Why should we limitour requests to our perception of Hiswill, as I did when I asked only forused boards from Dad? Why not makeHis will our prime desire and, at thesame time, ask for what we reallywant?

Why not try this approach withGod? The Bible encourages it. Whatcan you lose? Either you’ll receive thething you asked Him for, or He’ll giveyou something that in the end willmake you happier than what youoriginally wanted.

Either way, it’s simple, open com-munication with God. Why not shootfor the moon? After all, you’re talkingto its Creator. ■

Sarah E. Coleman is anEnglish student at WallaWalla College in CollegePlace, Washington.

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