Book of Acts | Craig T. Owens

May 2026
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The Normalcy of Extraordinary Power

May 18, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

I’m not sure that any other aspect of the Christian faith generates as much discussion as the role of the Person of the Holy Spirit. Specifically, I would say “nuanced discussion.” By that I mean, people carefully choosing their words to remain biblically accurate but not sound weird. “After all,” they might say, “we don’t want people looking at us strangely because we’re talking about signs, wonders, and speaking in unknown languages. Yet at the same time, we don’t want to grieve the Holy Spirit.”

I believe there is a better way to handle this: Let Scripture speak for itself.

Let me share one recent example with you that will address this point. A rather well-known Christian apologist, who happens to be quite skilled in ancient biblical languages, was recently asked in an interview, “Can you explain the gift of speaking in tongues?”

Here are some of the main things he said in reply: “I think there is something going on in the New Testament that is different. … There is a uniqueness to that time period. It’s normative in a way that it is not now” because, he says, we don’t see today what we see in the New Testament, “because the disciples are building the foundation of the Church. … Now we have the books of Scripture where God speaks to us in a different way. … Speaking in tongues, prophesying happen; I just don’t think they’re normative in the way we see them happening in the New Testament.”

There’s a lot to unpack here, but I want to focus on a word he repeated: normative.

The dictionary defines that word: implying, creating, or prescribing a norm or standard; especially an assumed norm regarded as the standard of correctness in behavior, speech, writing, etc.

So I guess we need to ask, “What is normal?”

Let’s begin with this question: What did the pre-Ascension followers of Jesus consider normal?

First, Jesus was with them bodily form, and He regularly explained Scripture to them. Jesus healed people and so did His followers. Jesus told them He was leaving in bodily form, but that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them (John 14:16-17).

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this sermon here.)

The next question is: What did the post-Ascension followers of Jesus consider normal?

There was a joy of anticipating the Holy Spirit’s outpouring (Luke 24:50-53). Jesus was no longer with them bodily, but they still operated in His name and authority. They understood Scripture without Jesus in bodily form explaining it to them. They wrote the books of the New Testament, which are really a commentary on Scripture (the Old Testament) in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They healed people.

Our final question should be: What should we consider normal?

Let’s go back to John 14:16-17 where Jesus promised the arrival of the Counselor. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is empowerment in a wholly different level. At salvation, He is “with” us; at baptism, He is “in” us. Jesus is still not with us in bodily form, but we can still operate in His name, we understand Scripture without Jesus in bodily form explaining it to us, and we can operate in a realm of power that seems extra-ordinary to others!

Listen to a couple of key phrases from Peter’s Pentecost Sunday sermon. He says this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of a promise made by Jesus, and it is proof of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus (Acts 2:33, 38-39).

Nowhere is this implied that this is a one-time empowerment, nor an exclusive empowerment for those living in that time, nor is it exclusively for those called apostles. The saints lived this out as their normal daily life. See just a few examples in Acts 4:20, 30-31; 6:3, 8-10; 8:4-8, 14-17.

“The secret of our strength is the living testimony that Jesus Christ is every moment with us, inspiring, directing and strengthening us. This is what made the disciples so bold in preaching Him as the Crucified One in the midst of His enemies. They never for a moment regretted His bodily absence, for they had Him with them, and in them, in the divine power of the Holy Spirit.” —Andrew Murray

I think we have accepted sub-normal as normative for so long, that we now call that normal. Instead our normal should be a lifestyle, a language, a power that is called extraordinary by others.

Spirit-baptized Christians should live in the normalcy of extraordinary power!

Please check out the other messages we have covered in this series called We Are: Pentecostal by clicking here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Andrew Murray, baptism, Book of Acts, Calvary Assembly of God, empowerment, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, Holy Spirit, miracles, quote, sermon, video. 1 Comment »

The Legacy Of A Mother’s Sincere Faith

May 11, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here.

“To be a mother is the greatest vocation in the world. No being has a position of such great power and influence.” —Hannah Whitall Smith

A mother’s power impacts her children while she is alive, and a mother’s influence continues to empower them after she is gone. Other than Jesus Himself, I’m not sure who has a greater influence than a God-fearing mother.

A mother’s influence is seen in her children.

Paul was a prolific evangelist and letter writer. His letters make up a huge part of the New Testament of the Bible. Much of his travel and his letters were thanks to a faithful traveling companion named Timothy.

Paul’s very last letter was written to Timothy, in which he called him my dear son (2 Timothy 1:2)
Paul met him in Lystra where Timothy was well spoken of (Acts 16:1-2)
Paul knew the anointing that was on Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 1:18)
Timothy stepped right into the fire of ministry—persecution in Philippi and Thessalonica; then he followed Paul to Corinth (Acts 18:1-5)
Timothy was entrusted to deliver valuable letters and answer questions (1 Corinthians 4:17, 16:10-11; Philippians 2:19-23; 1 Thessalonians 2:18—3:6)
In his first pastoral epistle, we see that Paul commissioned Timothy to pastor in Ephesus (a challenging place), and he reminds Timothy that he is my true son (1 Timothy 1:2)

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

Paul knows that this godly man, this trusted friend, this faithful companion is a product of the power and influence of his mother, who in her turn was influence by her mother (2 Timothy 1:5).

There is very little mention of Timothy’s father, other than he was a Greek. That could mean he was of Greek nationality or that he was a Gentile. We know Gentiles were looking for Jesus (John 12:20-21) and were turning to Jesus (Acts 14:1), but it would seem this wasn’t the case for Timothy’s dad, since neither Luke nor Paul mention him by name.

The fact that we don’t know his name may means that he passed away or he may have been uninvolved in Timothy’s upbringing. We can at least tell that his father—who had the right to name his children—was hoping for great things from his son. The name Timotheus means honoring God.

The main influence in Timotheus’ life was his mother and grandmother. Already he was known as a disciple. Recall that Luke seldom used the word “Christian” but usually called the followers of Jesus saints, believers, and disciples. We also read that the fellow brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him (Acts 16:2).

Paul says this is because Lois (mimi) and Eunice (mama) had a sincere faith (2 Timothy 1:5), which literally means “without any hypocrisy.” Andrew Murray wrote, “Your motherhood is in God’s sight holier and more blessed than you realize.” This was in a time before the Church was very well established, so there were very few supports around them; certainly Timothy’s father wasn’t a supporter.

Timothy felt this impact just as King David did (Psalm 86:16). Paul tells Timothy to follow my example (v. 13-14) and follow the example of your godly mother and grandmother (v. 5).

Mothers and grandmothers, keep the faith!

Your life has power and it has influence. Charles Spurgeon said, “The devil never reckons a man to be lost so long as he has a good mother alive. O woman, great is thy power!”

Great, indeed, is your power, Mom! Don’t give up, don’t give in to despair.

I hope you get to see your power and your influence in your lifetime, but even if you don’t, be assured that your influence will outlive you—I am persuaded [the faith of your mother] now lives in you also!

Kids, today would be an especially good day to let your mother and grandmother know the positive influence they have had on your life. Trust me: nothing would make their day more than hearing those words from you!

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

The Visible Church

April 6, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Fifty-eight years ago this weekend, on April 4, 1968, just after 6pm on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was cut down by an assassin’s bullet. A powerful voice in the struggle for civil rights for African Americans was silenced, and yet his legacy still lives on more than a half-century later.

A couple of days ago, we remembered another historic death: the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. But unlike Dr. King, today we also celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!

Does it matter that Jesus was raised back to life? If Dr. King’s legacy can still live on in the life of his followers, even though his body is in the grave, couldn’t the same thing happen for the followers of Jesus of Nazareth? The answer, quite simply, is “No!” This is because Jesus claimed that His kingdom was an eternal Kingdom, and that He came to bring people eternal life (John 3:16). If the Founder of this Kingdom could be held in the grave, what would His followers have to look forward to? Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19.

(I’m not going to take the time to go through all the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus here, but I would encourage you to check out our series A.L.I.V.E.

We have named this series after a statement from Jesus, “I will build My Church.” He made this statement before His death and before His resurrection, which tells us that He knew the outcome before those events even occurred.

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

Look how Paul concludes that the resurrection of Jesus is what gives meaning to the terms “saints” and “Church” in Ephesians 1:15-23. Our faith in what Jesus did for us on the Cross—namely, paying the penalty for our sins—is what justifies us, allowing us to be called saints (2:4-5). Notice how saints are to now live (2:6-10).

Look at those two phrases: “saved…not by works” and “created…to do good works.” As my friend T.M. Moore noted, “We are not saved by good works, but we’re not truly saved without them.” Good works is what characterized the earthly ministry of Jesus (Acts 10:38), and good works are what His saints are now freed and empowered to do (Romans 7:4; 1 Peter 2:12).

Paul goes on to say that saints are who make up the Church of Jesus (Ephesians 2:14-22). The Church is not a building, but saints following the example of Jesus to make the Kingdom of God known in the world (Acts 4:32-35).

A hundred years later, Aristides wrote a letter to Emperor Hadrian about these saints (who were now known as Christians):

“They help those who offend them, making friends of them; do good to their enemies. They don’t adore idols; they are kind, good, modest, sincere, they love one another; don’t despise widows; protect the orphans; those who have much give without grumbling, to those in need. When they meet strangers, they invite them to their homes with joy, for they recognize them as true brothers, not natural but spiritual. When a poor man dies, if they become aware, they contribute according to their means for his funeral; if they come to know that some people are persecuted or sent to prison or condemned for the sake of Christ’s name, they put their alms together and send them to those in need. If they can do it, they try to obtain their release. When a slave or a beggar is in need of help, they fast two or three days, and give him the food they had prepared for themselves, because they think that he too should be joyful, as he has been called to be joyful like themselves.”

Jesus is the eternally-living Founder of His Church, and those who have had their sins forgiven by their faith in His death and resurrection are the living stones of His Church (1 Peter 2:5).

Coming to the Cross makes us saints. Making the Savior known by the way we live makes us the Church.

We can’t do this unless Jesus is alive and actively empowering us (Matthew 28:18-20).

Let me reiterate what my friend wrote, because this is how saints should live: “We are not saved by good works, but we’re not truly saved without them.”

The resurrection of Jesus makes it possible for us to not only be delivered from trying to earn our salvation by doing good works, but to be empowered to do good works so that we compel others want to know Jesus for themselves.

As the saints go, so goes the Church.

Check out all of the messages in this series “I will build My Church” by clicking here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

What Does That Mean?

March 30, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

In one of my favorite movies—The Princess Bride—one character believe himself to be very smart. In fact, Vizzini considers Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates to be morons compared to his massive intelligence. But in one section of the movie he keeps using a singular word over and over again, until Inigo says to him, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means!” Sometimes I wonder if this is what people want to say to Christians!

Every family has its own unique lexicon—words and phrases mean something to them that they don’t mean to others. Every industry has shorthand for its products and services. Every friend group has their own inside jokes. And we Christians are just as guilty.

Sometimes instead of saying, “Yes” we say, “Amen.”
Instead of calling someone, “Mr. or Mrs.” we call them, “Brother or Sister.”
We soften some of our stronger language by saying, “I’m grieved in my spirit,” instead of saying more honestly, “I’m really ticked off!”
And sometimes, to sound super-spiritual when we pray, we begin to speak in Old English.

Is it any wonder that people outside of our church circles sometimes look at us like we’re a bit off?

So what do we mean by calling ourselves “Christian”? This was not the preferred name for followers of Jesus in the early Church:

Saints—60x (only 4x in Acts)
Believers—43x (26x in Acts)
Disciples—24x (all in Acts)
Christian—3x

The word originates in Acts 11:19-26 (v. 19 references the persecution of 8:1). The Greek language follows the Roman pattern of adding “ian” to the name of a great leader whom others were following. King Agrippa used this word in Acts 26:28, showing us how it has gained traction.

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

Christ is not a proper name, nor is it the surname of Jesus. Christ means the anointed One. So it’s more correct for us to say, “Jesus the Christ” (as in John 1:41).

So to be a Christian is to follow the Anointed One. To believe that He died to pay the penalty for our sins, and that He rose to life again to give us His eternal life.

To be a Christian is to live like Jesus, or to live as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

To be a Christian is to continue to live like Jesus even in the face of opposition (1 Peter 4:12-16; 2:21-23; 3:13-17).

Christians are being the Church when they are intentionally living in a way that makes Jesus known as the Christ—the One and Only Anointed One.

Some excellent questions for Christians to ponder:

What do you mean when you say, “I am a Christian”?
Do others see and hear Jesus in what you do and say?
Does your verbal confession and lifestyle confession compel others to come to Jesus?

Let’s make sure our lives are the best definition of what the Bible says a Christian truly is!

Check out all of the other messages in this series by clicking here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Peter, 2 Corinthians, Book of Acts, Calvary Assembly of God, Christianity, disciples, Gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ, Princess Bride, saints, sermon, testimony, video. 1 Comment »

Our Cornerstone

March 23, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Last week we saw that the essential confession is not just, “I believe You are the Christ the Son of the living God,” but also, “I will take up my cross and follow You!” (Matthew 16:16-18, 24). Notice that these are “red letter words”—words spoken by Jesus. They are not “they say” words (like v. 14; Matthew 7:21-23).

(Check out all of the Scriptures I use in this post by clicking here.)

Look at the very next red letter words in Matthew 7:24-27. Notice the two parts: hears and puts them into practice. That’s our verbal and our lifestyle confession. What are we hearing and putting into practice? “These words of Mine.”

Jesus is our Cornerstone. The dictionary defines this as, “something that is essential, indispensable; the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed.”

Some sandy things to build your life upon:

what your family practiced
what your pastor preached
what your friends believe

You know how you will know how sure your foundation is? When the storms come! I recently heard a well-known scholar and Christian apologist in an interview. He was asked by a skeptic of Christianity if he had doubts, and he responded, “Sure, I have doubts. But I choose to believe what the Bible says.” And I thought, “How sad to live this way.” We have a reliable, unshakable foundation in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:18-22; 1 Corinthians 15:58).

Religions and philosophies have come and gone.

Spiritual giants have stumbled, and fierce tyrants have growled and then died.

Traditions and societies have changed through the millennia.

But the red letter words of Jesus stand firm through every season and storm (2 Timothy 2:19).

Our Cornerstone remains unmovable and we can stand on Him unshaken. This foundation…

…was prophesied—Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22
…was fulfilled—Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11-12
…is still standing today—Ephesians 2:19-20; 1 Peter 2:4-6
…will still be standing for all eternity—Revelation 21:5; John 14:1-4

So there is no need to be afraid. There is no need to get frustrated. There is no need to engage in meaningless debates with the “they say” crowd. Stand firm on the red letter words—our Cornerstone.

“On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!”

Check out all of the other messages in this “I Will Build My Church” series here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

What Really Scares The Devil

March 19, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

There is nothing in your spiritual armory that makes the devil afraid of you. But there is one thing that will always cause him to flee from you: When you bow to Jesus.

The Scriptures I reference in this clip—Acts 19:11-16; Philippians 2:10-11; James 4:7.

If you want to check out the full message from which I took this clip, it’s here.

You may also be interested in these related blog posts:

My book Amen Indeed is a book of prayers for pastors who are in the midst of spiritual warfare.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Book of Acts, Book of James, devil, Philippians, spiritual warfare, submission, video. Leave a Comment »

Delight In Your Duty

February 23, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

If anyone is known for attentively doing their duty, it is the members of our military. Duty is drilled into them over and over and over. Civilians could learn a lesson from this. We tend to be reward-motivated, that is to say, if we feel some sort of reward for our effort, we may stick to our commitment. But duty-bound soldiers stick to their commitment regardless of how they feel or what the circumstances are.

We need to be especially on guard against Christian duties that seem to be thankless, or else we may forget about doing them or do them only reluctantly.

Some of you might be saying, “‘Christian’ and ‘duty’ doesn’t sound right in the same sentence. Isn’t everything we do for Jesus supposed to be delightful?” Paul said to Timothy, “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3).

(Check out all of the Scriptures I use in this post by clicking here.)

And listen to these words from Jesus—

Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, “Come along now and sit down to eat”? Won’t he rather say, “Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink”? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” (Luke 17:7-10)

Why does the military drill the idea of duty into every soldier? Because doing your duty is indispensable to success in battle!

In the New Testament, we meet three Roman soldiers who did their duty. Only one that we know of became a follower of Jesus, yet all three were pivotal for two key leaders in the early Church. These Roman soldiers were important because doing their duty helped Peter and Paul get where God had called them.

Peter—Jesus called on Peter to be one of the foundational leaders of the Church (Matthew 16:18). But Peter never stepped fully into this role until a Roman centurion named Cornelius did his duty.

In Acts 10:1-7 we meet Cornelius who followed the command of an angel without question, just as a dutiful soldier would. This dutiful act helped Peter understand what God was calling him to do (10:15-16, 22-28), and then helped him explain what the rest of the Church was supposed to do (11:18; 15:7-11).

Paul—Lysias was the commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. He saved Paul from literally being torn limb-from-limb by an angry mob, and then he safely transported Paul to Caesarea to avoid the assassins who were laying in wait to ambush Paul (Acts 21-22).

Then when Paul was being sent to stand trail before Emperor Nero, a centurion named Julius also went to extraordinary lengths to see that Paul made it safely to Rome (Acts 27).

All three of these Roman soldiers were merely doing their duty—obey orders from their commanding officers—but their dutiful service allowed Peter and Paul to get to the places where God needed them to be.

Earlier I asked if the Christian life was supposed to be delightful. It may not be delightful here, but doing our duty may be tough at times. Paul said he rejoiced in the difficulties (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Truly, doing our duty here is noticed by our Commander and King. Allow me to paraphrase Matthew 25:21 for the reward that Jesus gives those saintly soldiers who do their duty—

Our Commander will reply, “Well done, good and dutiful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

Do your duty—for your sake, for the benefit of others, and for the glory of our King.

If you’ve missed any of the other messages in this series called The Lord’s Army, you can find them all here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 2 Corinthians, 2 Timothy, Book of Acts, Calvary Assembly of God, centurion, Christianity, commitment, Cornelius, duty, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Matthew, Julius, Lysias, rewards, sermon, spiritual warfare, video. 1 Comment »

The Influence Of Jesus

February 18, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Leadership is influence.

Influence doesn’t try to get a following, but people naturally follow a leader who quietly, consistently, and effectively shows up for them.

Jesus saw the needs of people and was moved by compassion to relieve their distress. Peter said He simply went around doing good (Acts 10:38). He gave value to the overlooked, He touched the so-called untouchable, He embraced the rejected.

Jesus said, “I didn’t come to be served but to serve and to give My life away” (Mark 10:45).

This commentary from the folks at He Gets Us is spot-on:

So often our idea of leadership is about asserting dominance and wielding authority; Jesus on the other hand revealed a radically different approach to greatness.

Jesus chose a path that seemed almost counterintuitive, especially to many of those around Him. He showed that true influence doesn’t come from throwing your weight around or flexing your authority—it comes from genuine empathy, authentic care, and intentionally seeing people and going toward them.

Instead of building a platform or demanding attention, Jesus moved quietly through communities, transforming lives through genuine relationships.

He didn’t network with the powerful or chase prestigious connections.

He sat with the overlooked.

He listened to the ignored.

He gave dignity to those society had dismissed.

Jesus’ approach to influence and greatness wasn’t about commanding rooms or dominating conversations—it was about creating spaces where others felt seen, heard, and valued, demonstrating great love in those moments.

When He had opportunities to grasp power, He chose instead to empower others.

His visible leadership wasn’t built on titles or positions, but on authentic relationships He cultivated and the lives He transformed through His genuine care and concern. (‘What is Greatness?’)

True influence loves and serves others like Jesus does. Don’t try to grab the top spot, but grab a towel and serve others.

I would also humbly recommend that you check out my book Shepherd Leadership, where I explore the leadership of Jesus in greater depth.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: authenticity, Book of Acts, compassion, empathy, Gospel of Mark, He Gets Us, influence, Jesus Christ, leadership, love others, servant-leadership, shepherd leadership. Leave a Comment »

Prayer Changes My Focus

January 19, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Heartfelt prayer is never a meaningless exercise. Without exception, something is changed with every single prayer we offer to God. Sometimes, as we have learned, some of the biggest changes take place in us.

Take a look at this picture—what do you see? If your focus is on the big, dark dot you will eventually lose sight of all that’s bright and beautiful around it. Jesus said something similar in Luke 11:34. Prayer can help us take our focus off the darkness and turn to the light.

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

When we experience bad things, we have three options:

We can focus on the badness and see it as inevitable and inescapable—this will leave us bitter.
We can attempt to change our circumstance—this will leave us possibly better. But what if we cannot change our circumstances? Then we’re right back to #1—we are bitter.
We can change our focus. For Christians, this will help us realize how blessed we are.

Let’s revisit part of a road trip that the apostle Paul took.

First in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4). He was only able to spend 3 weeks in this city before the jealous Jews rounded up trouble and started a riot (vv. 5-10). Instead of focusing on that big, black dot, Paul gratefully prayed for them (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 11-12).

Before Thessalonica, he was shamefully treated in Philippi (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2; Acts 16:22-24). Another incredibly short stay before trouble came, but yet again, Paul prays with gratitude (Philippians 1:3-4).

Why could Paul be grateful? Mainly because his focus wasn’t on the big, dark dot of his shameful treatment in those cities, but on what God had done because of that treatment (Philippians 1:12-14; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10, 3:6-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:4).

Likewise, Paul calls on us to use prayer to change our focus (Philippians 4:4-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

William Cowper was a gifted poet who battle the big, black dot of depression. One of his poems captures the light behind the big, black dot—

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning Providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain. —William Cowper, Light Shining Out Of Darkness

Let’s let prayer change our focus from the darkness to the light!

If you’ve missed any of the other posts in this series on prayer, you can find them all here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎