“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14–15, ESV |
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Dear First name / friend, |
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This week’s new podcast episode is called “ When God Doesn’t Answer.” How do we think about unanswered prayers? This episode is deeply personal to me, and I’m guessing, to many of you as well. There have been many times in my life when I’ve wondered about God’s delayed answers. Sometimes His answer has been no. One of the hardest no’s I’ve received was during my pregnancy with Asher. We asked family, friends, and close ministry colleagues to pray for his little life—and we lost him. During my pregnancy with Olivera I struggled with my theology of prayer. How could I pray for Vera’s life with confidence when we prayed for Asher, and he didn’t survive? Warren Wiersbe said this about prayer: “[The Scriptures about answered prayer do not mean] ‘If you pray hard enough and really believe, God is obligated to answer your prayer no matter what you ask.’ That kind of faith is not faith in God; rather it is nothing but faith in faith, or faith in feelings.” The faith from which we pray is not an emotion. God is not looking for us to feel a certain way to goad Him into answering. He is not a genie in a bottle, hoping to gain something by our participation with Him. In this episode, I share three main points: - God always “answers,” but sometimes His answer is no or wait.
- God desires for us to ask in prayer. He does not want to have an efficiency based “relationship” with us.
- Faith is the basis of prayer. We must believe He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Our struggles with prayer are real and raw. One podcast episode won’t answer all the nuances. I hope what I share this week encourages you to keep praying based on God’s heart and confidence in His character. What I share with you comes from my own experience reckoning with Scripture’s truths as they interact with human experience. |
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Coming next week: “Can Satan hear my prayers?” Subscribe to not miss an episode! |
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For this week’s Thinking Biblically I asked Kayla, my executive assistant, to write some thoughts on how to think about the Epstein Files. Kayla has experience working with victims of human trafficking. Her thoughts are below, followed by mine. Kayla: When looking at any major news event or scandals, we as believers should always seek to discern truth amidst rumors, conspiracies, and even well-meaning but under-informed sources (think scrolling on social media!). When it comes to information about sex crimes, we should seek that discernment even more, not only to limit our own exposure to traumatic information but to be sensitive to the victims and survivors who lived the events firsthand. We know that God favors the oppressed, those who have been abused and unjustly treated—especially when perpetrated by people in positions of power. We can seek to bring that same love, justice, and compassion to these victims and survivors that God brings. How we do that isn't just through how we feel when we read or hear about the Epstein files but in how we engage with them. Here are some questions we can ask ourselves as we are inundated with new Epstein Files revelations each day: - Are we listening to the survivors who are speaking about it publicly? (There are many survivors who have been interviewed in recent years, were involved in making a documentary about Epstein, filed lawsuits, and lobbied to have the files be released.)
- Are we perpetuating their abuse and exploitation by unnecessarily viewing the photos and videos in the files of the survivors during their time of victimization? (The DOJ egregiously failed to adequately redact some child sexual abuse material—a.k.a. child pornography—as well as other photos and names of victims/survivors who did not give consent to have their names shared.)
- Are we actually engaging with the news because we care deeply about the things that grieve God or because we're rage-baited into creating a nonpartisan issue into a partisan issue?
- Are we horrified yet quick to place blame on satanic ritual abuse when theories of it arise? In other words, are we relieved to think this is an outlier (most people we know aren't in a satanic cult) or even fall back on old trends (like the satanic panic of the 80s); or are we willing to face the reality that the evil of sexual exploitation happens in every community and all over the internet?
- Are we taking action to learn about how sex trafficking and exploitation affect our own communities and how we can partake in God's work to make justice and mercy a reality here and now? (For resources to learn more about human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and current legislation, take a look at Polaris, International Justice Mission, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Additionally, World Without Exploitation specifically spotlights Epstein survivors.)
Phylicia: From a theological perspective, what we see in the Epstein Files reveals the utter depravity of humanity apart from God. Without a worldview centered on the imago dei in every human being, the most vulnerable among us are abused. As Kayla pointed out, whether or not satanic rituals were involved in these abuses, all abuse is satanic. Anything that raises itself against the image of God in humanity or the preciousness of life (which can only come from God) is from the spiritual realm of darkness. The principalities and powers of this world tempt humans to use their free will for evil. We as believers get to use our will to further the goodness of God. Though it may seem like one Christian can’t make a difference in the darkness, we actually can—and we are called to do so. One Christian submitting her will to Christ and obeying Him where she is, with what she has, turns into millions of Christians changing the world. Listen to the Lord. Obey His voice. Do what the Spirit calls you to. Be in the Word. Honor His creation and defend the abused. This is how we push back the darkness. |
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Now through Monday, February 16th you can shop a selection of remaining items from previous seasonal collections at 70% off. Plus, every purchase made over the next five days will enter you to WIN one of our NEW Spring Shop items launching March 12th. |
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As I step back from social media, I’m focusing on spaces that allow for slower, more thoughtful conversation. Substack is one of those spaces. If you’ve enjoyed the reflective parts of this newsletter—the deeper dives, the theological threads, the slowly written prayers—you’ll feel at home on Substack. Here’s a little preview: |
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