It can be tempting to slip into fearful and anxious thoughts these days, can’t it? Sometimes it feels as if everything is being taken from us or could be soon. Once again, Anne Graham Lotz brings us back to solid, hope-filled truth. Today she reminds us that who we are in Christ—and who God is in our lives—never changes. And that’s the greatest treasure of all. It’s a privilege to welcome Anne back to the farm’s front porch today…
guest post by Anne Graham Lotz
Many years ago, our home was robbed. The front door was broken down, and everything of value was taken—silver, jewelry, cameras, and even furniture.
That night, after I talked with law enforcement officials who assured me that the thieves would not come back, I crawled into bed—under the same covers the thieves had folded back in order to remove the pillowcases from my pillows as a means of carrying what they had stolen.
I was terrified. All I could think of were the countless things that could be taken from me: my home by fire, my health through disease, my children by kidnappers, my spouse through death, my reputation through gossip . . . I felt my body becoming cold and stiff. I knew I was going into shock.
And then God began to whisper to my heart.
I had been studying Ephesians, so the first two chapters were familiar to me. The third verse of the first chapter promises that we have “every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
I knew that the blessings God gives through Jesus Christ could never be taken from me. So I began to list them as they are given in Ephesians 1 and 2. There were so many that I put them to the alphabet, then went to sleep peacefully.
The next morning when I awoke, I wrote down the list of blessings that no one can ever take from me. Blessings that no thieves can steal.
I want to share with you this list of blessings, which I call “The Believer’s Birthright.”
It is my prayer that it will help stimulate your thanksgiving and praise to the One from whom all blessings flow.
We are . . .
Accepted—as accepted by God as Jesus is.
Blessed.
Chosen to belong to God.
Delivered from sin, self, and Satan.
Enlightened to understand the things of God.
Forgiven of all sin—past, present, future.
We have . . .
Grace—great riches at Christ’s expense.
Hope of Heaven.
Inheritance laid up for us in Heaven.
Justification as though we had never sinned.
Knowledge of God.
Love of God.
Mercy—receiving less than the justice we deserve.
Nearness to God.
Oneness with God.
Peace that passes all understanding.
Quickening into new life.
Redemption.
Sealing of the Holy Spirit.
Truth.
Unity with other believers in the body of Christ.
Validation as authentic children of God.
Wisdom.
X–Y–Z Exaltation to live with Him in heavenly places.
When we acknowledge the blessings God gives us through Christ, we can give freely out of what God has given us—no matter our circumstances.
With that in mind, I’d like to share with you a prayer I wrote.
These words reflect my own longing to let go of what can never satisfy me so that I might embrace the blessings that the world can never take away.
Great Creator God,
I worship You, the Father’s only begotten Son, the One to whom the Father has given everything.
You are His Heir to all things. You hold the world in the palm of Your hand, yet You are the same One who sees when a sparrow falls. The same One who clothes the lilies of the field. The same One who fed five thousand hungry men and their families with five loaves and two fish. You have promised to meet all my needs according to the riches of Your glory, because You are Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.
I repent of hoarding my own wealth when You have freely given me all things. I repent of closing my eyes and ears to the needs of others because I want more for myself.
I repent of allowing the material blessings You have given to deceive me into thinking I don’t need You.
I repent of living as though material wealth will bring happiness.
I repent of being consumed with worry over my financial, material needs as though You are not sufficient for all things.
I choose to give You all that I have, not just 10 percent. I trust You to give me, in return, my next breath and to supply not everything I want but everything I need.
Reveal to me the immense debt I owe You so I can sincerely acknowledge it, live to repay it, and forgive others as You have forgiven me. I ask that You open my eyes to the spiritual as well as the material needs of others and use me to act on Your behalf to meet those needs. I ask for a fresh vision of Your power and wealth so I would hold loosely my material blessings, choosing to be content with or without them, as I look forward to my reward in Heaven. I ask that You give me courage to see, believe in, and live in the light of eternity so I resist temptation and instead abandon myself to Your will.
For the glory of Your great name—Jesus,
Amen.
Anne Graham Lotz, called “the best preacher in the family” by her father Billy Graham, is an international speaker and the bestselling and award-winning author of numerous books, including Just Give Me Jesus. The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. Anne is the president of AnGeL Ministries in Raleigh, North Carolina and the former chairperson for the National Day of Prayer.
Like many of us, Anne Graham Lotz has struggled with prayer. Over the years, she discovered that writing out her prayers draws her into deeper, more intimate conversations with God. Anne’s latest book, The Light of His Presence, is a tender collection of prayers from times of worship, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession in Anne’s own life. As Anne writes, “My prayer for you . . . is that God will use my struggle with prayer to help you overcome yours. And that, as a result, you will be drawn nearer to the heart of God.”
[ Our humble thanks to Multnomah for their partnership in today’s devotion ]
