According to a story reportedly written by Leo Buscaglia, “On a cold day in December, some years ago: A little boy, about 10 years old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.

“A lady approached the young boy and said, ‘My, but you’re in such deep thought staring in that window!’

“‘I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,’ was the boy’s reply.

“The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.

“She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.

“By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy’s feet, she then purchased a pair of shoes for him.

“She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, ‘No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.’

“As she turned to go, the astonished child caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked, ‘Are you God’s wife?’”²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, open the eyes of my heart so that wherever there is a pressing need placed across my path, I will see it—and help to meet it. And wherever there is a hurt, please help me to heal it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 1:27

2. Leo Buscaglia.

“If you read this front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and a line tugging in her mouth.

“A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the San Francisco Golden Gate bridge) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.

“They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as if she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The man who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.”²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you are the only one who can set me free from the chains of sin. Please use me to help bring others to you so that they, too, can be freed from the chains of sin. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 5:1 (NLT).

2. Reported to be from San Francisco Chronicle. Date unknown.

I have read how, after a large gathering of Christian youth, a church staff member was counting the offering. Included with all the donations there was a teen-aged girl’s picture. Had someone taken that picture from someone’s wallet and thrown it in the offering as a practical joke? That’s the kind of thing teenagers sometimes do. On the back of her own picture, however, a girl had written, “I have nothing to give but myself.”²

Whether we have little or much to give—monetary wise—the gift God wants us to give first of all is the gift of ourselves! As we do this may we, too, like the Macedonian believers, be filled with abundant joy, which will also overflow in rich generosity.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, for all that you have done for me in giving your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins so that I can be freely forgiven and therein receive your gift of eternal life, I freely give my life to you for faithful service. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NLT).

2. http://www.autoillustrator.com/preahing.html.

Television’s well-known newscaster, Ted Koppel, said one night on ABC’s Nightline:

“We have actually convinced ourselves that slogans will save us. ‘Shoot up if you must, but use a clean needle.’ Or, ‘Enjoy sex whenever and with whomever you wish, but protect yourself.’

“No! The answer is no! Not because it isn’t cool or smart or because you might wind up in jail or dying in the AIDS ward, but because it’s wrong!

“What Moses brought down from Mount Sinai were not the Ten Suggestions, but the Ten Commandments!”

Author Dr. S.I. McMillen in his book, None of These Diseases, pointed out how many of the directives given by God to the ancient Israelites were for health and hygiene purposes. God assured his people that if they obeyed his laws they would be free from the diseases the Egyptians suffered. Not to eat pork (for obvious reasons back then) was just one of these. It’s the same with all of God’s directives and commandments. They are for our total well-being—physical and emotional as well as spiritual.

We can’t improve on God’s plan. The wisest thing to do is to get in on it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to live by your rules and not mine, because your rules are for my total well-being—physical, emotional and spiritual. Thank you for giving us these rules by which to live life to the fullest. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Deuteronomy 7:12, 15 (NIV).

A Daily Encounter reader asks, “How can you know when and if God has answered your prayers? Some in our group feel it’s only when something big happens—like miracles in the Bible. Others feel that it’s also when prayers for little things are answered. For example, recently I badly needed money for food and gas and prayed that God would provide. Soon after I found $20. I felt this was a direct answer to prayer. One friend felt this was just a coincidence. So how can we know for sure if and when God has answered our prayers?”

If I needed $20 and had been responsible with my money, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask God to provide for my need. If I then found $20 and couldn’t find who lost it, I’d surely thank God for answering my prayer. At times I have had immediate answers to prayer. At other times it has taken longer … for some it has taken several years. Some people say God answers our prayers according to his timing. I think, however (depending on the nature of the request), more often than not it has more to do with our timing—that is, when we are ready and able to handle the answer.

Sometimes we can only know for certain if God has answered our prayers when we look back over time and can see more clearly how God has led and provided.

A lot also depends on our attitude of mind. Most of us believe what we want to believe; that is, what is the most convenient for us to believe. If we want to believe God answered our prayer when we saw the evidence, we will believe. If we don’t want to believe (regardless of the evidence), we won’t believe.

If we are truly committed to the Lord and pray in faith, we can usually see when our prayers have been answered. In fact God answers every sincere prayer when prayed in faith. Keep in mind, however, sometimes God’s answer is yes … sometimes it is no … sometimes it is wait a while … and sometimes it is that you are praying the wrong prayer—a prayer with the wrong motive or praying for deliverance from (or healing of) a symptom without praying about the cause/s.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you hear and answer every sincere prayer that comes from my heart. Please help me to pray the right prayer with the right motive—and help me to discern when and how you answer my prayers. Thank you for hearing and answering this prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

See “How to Pray Effectively” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=26&d=1&c=2&p=1.

1. James 4:2-3 (NIV).

Writing in The Age, a Melbourne, Australia newspaper, John Weldon states that “the custom of making New Year’s resolutions ‘has been observed since ancient Babylonian times—when most of the resolutions recorded concerned, not surprisingly considering that culture’s fascination with all things agricultural, the returning of borrowed gardening tools.’”¹

That’s a great idea for a practical New Year’s resolution—returning things we’ve borrowed!

Because New Year’s Day is the oldest special day of the “Big Five: Mother’s Day, birthdays, Christmas and Easter,” Weldon is amazed that some marketer hasn’t commercialized this day as it has the other four for squeezing another buck out of unsuspecting customers.

Fortunately, New Year’s day hasn’t been commercialized (yet) and while most New Year’s resolutions don’t last longer than a day’s journey to the next temptation, I still think it is a good idea to make at least one that you (with God’s help) vigorously intend to keep and then do something about making it happen—providing it is a resolution of value.

Suggested prayer for the New Year:

“Dear Lord, Please give me …

A few friends who know me and love me still,

A thankful heart to give you praise always and in everything,

A trusting mind to keep on believing in you no matter what the future holds,

A humble, pleasing personality,

A teachable disposition,

A thoughtful, kind, and caring touch,

A forgiving and understanding spirit,

A loving and accepting attitude to communicate your love to every life I touch,

A worthwhile work into which I can put my best efforts and thereby help make my world a better place in which to live, and

A life that will make a difference not only in my world, but in my street and, most of all, in my home. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 5:6-9 (NIV).

2. John Weldon, “There’s gold in those New Year’s resolutions,” The Age, Melbourne, Australia, December 29, 2004, http://www.theage.com.au/.

The following story was sent to me by a Daily Encounter reader in Saudi Arabia. Even if this is a myth, it is an excellent parable. Be sure to read the end for the real miracle.

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar, she made her way six blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy and totally ignored her. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages.”

“I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back. “He’s really, really sick, and I want to buy a miracle.”

”I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.

“I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest.”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

“I don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago.

“One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered barely audibly, “and it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.”

Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents—the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.”

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the miracle you need.”

That well-dressed man was supposedly Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neurosurgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

“That surgery,” her Mom whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost.” Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost … one dollar and eleven cents … plus the faith of a little child.

As I said, this story was sent to me from a Daily Encounter reader in Saudi Arabia who wrote: “Dear pastor Richard, this story has been circulated among Christians here in Saudi and it gives greater impact to us and touches our heart. Your work is the same like the person in the story—your ministry gives us a miracle that truly is a gift from God, Jesus Christ.”

And you, dear reader, as you stand with us in prayer and financial support are a vital part of God’s miracle to touch people like this person in Saudi Arabia—and multiplied thousands of others worldwide—reaching them with God’s miracle of love and salvation … around the world … around the clock … 24-7-365. To me the real miracle is that we can, via email and the Internet, reach millions of people world-wide—including where the preaching of the gospel and Christian message is forbidden. Daily Encounter alone is going to well over a third-of-a-million worldwide subscribers every weekday of the year. Thousands more are being reached with the gospel daily via ACTS websites.

If you are able, your financial support, be it large or small, will be greatly appreciated so we can continue to keep sharing God’s good news without charge to multiplied thousands of people around the world. If you can help even with a little, you can send support through our secure server at: https://actscom.com/donate.php. Or support can be sent via the post to ACTS International at the address below.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the miracle of your salvation and that someone shared the Christian message and gospel with me. In appreciation for all you have done for me, I want to help others to have the opportunity to hear the gospel and receive you as their Lord and Savior too. Please guide me in how I can do this. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Luke 6:38 (NIV).

This was Jesus’ response when he healed the man with the withered hand on the Jewish Sabbath, after which the religious leaders began to plot how they might kill him.

Jesus was angry with these Pharisees because they loved their rigid, legalistic rules more than they loved people. They had religion, but they didn’t have God!

What is even more absurd is that these same religious leaders who murdered Jesus insisted that he be taken off the cross before sundown (the beginning of their religious Sabbath day) because it wasn’t “lawful” for him to be hanging dead on the cross on their Sabbath. To leave him there would have broken one of their religious laws and they would have felt ceremoniously unclean! It was acceptable to crucify and kill Jesus but not acceptable for the innocent victim to remain hanging on the cross once dead. Amazing!

As strange as it may seem, religion may send more people to hell than anything else! That is, religion that depends on one’s own “good works” or adhering to “legalistic religious rules or ritual” to get them into God’s heaven. God’s Word makes it very clear, “By grace are we saved through faith—and not of ourselves—it is the gift of God. Not of works lest anyone should boast.”² That is, we can never earn our way into God’s heaven. We are saved only because of God’s unfailing love and mercy and by our trusting in Jesus Christ and his dying on the cross in our place to save us from our sins.

Sure, Christianity is a religion; but in one sense religion, generally speaking, is man’s search for God, but Christianity in its truest sense is God’s search for man. It’s about Jesus Christ, the son of God, coming to earth in the form of a man to make reconciliation with God possible for us through his death on the cross in our place. Christianity has nothing to do with living by a set of man-made legalistic rules—such living will never get anybody into God’s heaven. Christianity is about making it possible for us to have a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ and then having right and healthy relationships with people.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to understand more fully and appreciate more intensely the true meaning of what you have done for me to make possible the forgiveness of all my sins, and the hope of spending eternity with you in heaven because of what Jesus did for me when he died on the cross in my place to pay the price for all of my sins. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: To ensure that you have a right relationship with God, be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Mark 3:5 (NIV).

2. Ephesians 2:8-9.