Chaplain Stephen and Brooksyne Weber serve with Transport for Christ. Click here to contact the Webers.

"Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them" (Daniel 10:12).

Yesterday I received a short email message informing me that a friend's mother had passed away after a long illness. I called him last night and we shared over the phone for a few minutes. She had a stroke eight years ago which left her in a bedridden state ever since. Of course my friend had prayed for his mother often throughout this period; initially he prayed for her healing, but over time when that prayer was not realized he redirected his prayer to that of asking God to release her from her permanent physical affliction that she might be taken home.

When I speak of "unanswered prayer" many of you personally know what I mean; both in theory and in practice. We've all had needs that we prayed for and the outcome was not as we had desired or the answer was delayed for what seemed to be an agonizing length of time. I realize that some will take issue with the word "unanswered," but from our limited, human perspective that's the way it seems. And still other prayers were answered in ways we never would have imagined as God was powerfully working during the wait in ways we could not see with the physical eye.

Today's verse has a powerful word of encouragement. A severe crisis had been revealed to Daniel. Instead of responding to this potential disaster by immediately picking up a pen and pad and writing down his "to do" list he directed his heart toward God. He set his mind to gain understanding and humbled himself before His Father in heaven.

Notice these words, "Since the first day… your words were heard." What an assurance that brings! There was delay; there was temporal uncertainty which often makes one fearful or nervous, but God heard Daniel's words from the first day and he saw the fear in his heart. Thus He spoke forth a compassionate command to calm Daniel's anxious thoughts, "Do not be afraid, Daniel." This command is repeated often in Scripture and its message brings great assurance.

Daniel's attitude and actions, in response to the crisis at hand, is instructive for each of us today: "You set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God." Daniel's example of surrendering both his mind and heart to the Lord was the key to remaining grounded in his faith as he waited upon God for instruction. This is also important for us today as we undergo prolonged trials.

What are you dealing with today? What great trial is before you or someone you care about? Are you praying about it, as you set your mind to gain understanding and as you humble yourself before Almighty God?

Be assured today that God is not too busy nor is He neglecting you. He does hear you! Are you also hearing His word of instruction today? He is interested in more than just answering your prayer, but also deepening your understanding and shaping your attitude to reflect that of the One who gave His all us.

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, in the midst of our trials may the problem at hand not be the single focus of our prayers. Help us to seek You for godly understanding and patient endurance, so that our lives are spiritually maturing in the process of waiting upon You to answer our prayers. May seeking You be our primary focus in fulfillment of Christ's command in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto You." In His precious name we pray, Amen.

Chaplain Stephen and Brooksyne Weber serve with Transport for Christ. Click here to contact the Webers. Click here for more daily encouragement.

"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them" (Psalm 34:17).

Anyone who’s ever talked to someone on a cell phone knows the frustration of a bad signal and has likely used the phrase, "Can you hear me now?"  Of course the phrase became a famous ad slogan that Verizon has run for many years.  It features a geeky technician sent to the most inaccessible places with a cell phone repeatedly asking, "Can you hear me now?" (Not surprisingly, he never gets a bad signal.)  In the latest ad he is frantically trying to get to the hospital to meet his wife, who is having a baby and thankfully (but again, not surprisingly) his cell phone works great!

I am so thankful that an immutable characteristic of God is His ability to always hear us.  We don't need to cry out "Can you hear me now?" for the Scripture forthrightly declares, "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them."  The Lord always hears the cries of His children.  No bad signals, spotty coverage or low batteries. "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry" (Psalm 34:15).

But what of the times when the heavens seem as brass and we just don't think we are getting through to God.  Is He hearing us?  Most will testify to having these feelings at times.  Nothing speaks to us louder than the silence of God.

Nearly thirty years ago I was at a very low point in my young pastoral role. All ministry doors seemed to be slamming shut and I recall crying out in desperation to God for direction.

Brooksyne and I had followed our calling to plant a church 900 miles from our home in Missouri. We started meeting in our apartment because we couldn't find a suitable building to plant a church. After outgrowing the apartment we finally found a place to meet which was a former department store. Our small group of believers renovated the first floor and met together for a year, but now we were being evicted.

I was very troubled about what would happen to our fledgling group of believers.   Fear had replaced my hope and discouragement had dimmed my vision at the time.  Not one to cry easily the tears began to pour out as I wrapped my arms around two wood studs in a dirty, shabby, unfinished 2nd floor of the building where we had been meeting. The owners had told us we could meet upstairs so Brooksyne and I climbed the long stairway and took a look at the deplorable mess around us.

God gave me an assurance of His faithfulness that unforgettable day as He spoke to me through Brooksyne. He gave her a vision for the shabby second floor that was unthinkable for a church setting at the time.  It became our place of worship for the next six years after a great deal of elbow work and further renovations.  Not only the second floor but as we grew in number we also renovated the third floor. In my finite reasoning I could not understand God’s plan in what seemed to be a setback for the work He had begun.   There are many reading this who came out of that church, now 31 years in existence.  I know they would attest to the fact that it wasn’t the building that drew them to worship together, but it was the body of committed believers!

Dave Kyllonen, the bass singer for The Couriers, has been in the same gospel singing group for 50 years. He shared in our Tuesday night banquet of an experience early in their singing days when they had a very difficult trip and were struggling financially.  They had made the tough decision to disband the group once they returned to their homes the next day.

On their long drive home, through the night, one of the members began singing, “I Know the Lord Will Make a Way For Me.”  A popular chorus at the time, the words declared God’s faithfulness toward those who live for Him. One by one they joined their voices together and their heavy burden dissolved into hopeful trust. By the time they had returned home they knew that they were to continue and the Lord has mightily blessed their ministry to this day.  

The key I believe is a firm knowledge of what God's Word says. There is a multitude of Biblical references to God hearing the prayers of His children.  We can always emphatically and confidently say when we call out to God, "Father, I know You hear me!”

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily Prayer:  Father, surely Your arm is not too short to save, nor Your ear too dull to hear our prayers.  Our iniquities have separated us from You, Father, so we repent of those things that have distanced us from a holy God.  May our faith be renewed and our resolve to follow You be firm as we call upon Your name.  We desire to walk, not in our own finite wisdom, but in the infinite wisdom of Almighty God whose understanding knows no bounds.  May we be found faithful as we call out to You, for we know You hear us.  Amen. 

Chaplain Stephen and Brooksyne Weber serve with Transport for Christ. Click here to contact the Webers.  Click here for more daily encouragement.