January 22, 2026
I long for a totally committed prayer life. Time spent talking with God is vital. The more often we talk, the longer I linger, the deeper the connection. Once, one time ONLY, I reached a level so immersed, I long to go there again. And yet, so far, I have not committed myself to that level of communion with my God. But I will.
It’s difficult to express what happened. I was praying over a large pile of requests from around the world. I feel certain the letter from Latvia that asked for a piece of wood so the writer could be warmed one more time before dying was in there. I wanted that to happen. I wanted that writer to be warm. I wanted them to go to Heaven, to be with the Lord, warm and loved throughout eternity. But I also wanted all the other prayers answered. I knew God knew what each person needed, what each one cared so deeply about getting they were willing to write to a woman in America who had agreed to pray for anyone’s needs. And in that moment it felt as if God leaned in, joined with my prayer and that the two of us were working together to warm the world.
Why did I offer? Why did people respond? Because that is how God works. He connects the ones we least expect. The tender with the wounded. The broken with the healers. The wise with the questors and the obedient with the rebels. God knows exactly who we need. And He knows the ones who need us. Put on the whole armor off God, the truth, righteousness, peace, faith, Salvation and God’s Word. Tell him, “Here I am. Send me!” Our world is feeling small. An African missionary I know was once passing a small shack in the outback (once called the Bush), and she heard the sounds of the Internet coming from inside. As God shrinks time, distance and separation, who will arise? His army of believers is huge. The other army is also huge. But He has always been in control.
Lord, there are so many challenges. Thank you for putting me here, for trusting me, for such a time as this. Help me love the angry more than they hate me. Let turning the cheek slow the rage. Jesus once stopped a crowd from stoning an adulteress woman by simply asking the one without sin to throw the first stone. I pray for words that make people pause to listen, words dropped like breadcrumbs that lead back to You. Help me pray for the unhappy and judgmental crowd. They embrace rage as if it isn’t poison. Heal them before the poison wins.
3 The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone 4 and asked Jesus, “Teacher, we caught this woman in the act of adultery. 5 In his teachings, Moses ordered us to stone women like this to death. What do you say?” 6 They asked this to test him. They wanted to find a reason to bring charges against him.
Jesus bent down and used his finger to write on the ground. 7 When they persisted in asking him questions, he straightened up and said, “The person who is sinless should be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he bent down again and continued writing on the ground.
9 One by one, beginning with the older men, the experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman. 10 Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Where did they go? Has anyone condemned you?”
11 The woman answered, “No one, sir.” John 8:3-11