…With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying… Ephesians 6:18
As I look ahead into the new year and beyond, I wonder…is this the year of His return? In the next ten years, will the world experience the rapture of the church? The seven years of tribulation? The glorious return of Jesus? And the beginning of His millennial kingdom on earth? Everything seems to point to the reality of this possibility.
While we may not know what the new year holds, we are confident of Who holds it. So today, it seems very fitting to pray for the future.
Join me as we pray together**…
Lord of eternity,
You are the great I Am…the same yesterday, today, and forever.
As we embark on the new year, our apprehension is overcome by our expectation. Could it be that we are truly approaching the end of human history as we have known it? In the next ten years will we experience the beginning of Your Kingdom on earth? Are we soon to hear the trumpet blow, and the loud voice of the archangel calling us Home? The intense yearning in our hearts cries, “Yes. Please. Let it be so.”
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You rule over the nations. You are the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. While no one can understand Your ways, we are confident that You have a plan and are working it out for our good and Your glory.[1]
Yet we honestly confess: when Christ-followers are persecuted to the death; when gunmen open fire in churches; when religious leaders are not safe in their own homes; when floods, tornadoes, and storms ravage our land; when derogatory expletives and vicious name calling replace respectful debate and dialogue; when our political leaders put their own interests before the people’s; when our business leaders lie; when our spiritual leaders contradict Your Word; when our social leaders divide; when our allies become our enemies and our enemies become our allies…what’s going on? Where are You?
We are tempted to think You are…
Distracted…disengaged…disinterested,
Inattentive…inactive…impotent,
Out-maneuvered…out-moded…out-classed,
Unable…unaffected…
or even unaware of our fear… our helplessness…our confusion…our outrage. Why do You seem so small while our problems, disasters, and enemies seem so large? Help us to regain our focus.
God of our fathers. Lord of the nations. You are the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. No one can understand Your ways. We turn to You. We return to You. Now. “Are You not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can withstand You.”[2]
Did You not establish us as one nation under God? Have we not pledged, “In God We Trust”? But now we find ourselves constantly bombarded with the shrill voices of those who demand we distance ourselves from You; that You are just one of many gods, if you are a god at all; that we cannot risk offending each other by calling on Your name. We hear the enemy insinuating that You are “not fixing this” because You can’t fix this. Our faith is being assaulted.
Our spirits rise up within us and seek to throw off the smothering cloak of spiritual oppression and political correctness. We shout Your Name. You are Yahweh. Jehovah–the personal God. The great I AM–the eternal God. The All-mighty–the Powerful God. You are Jesus. Savior. Immanuel. God with us, never to leave or forsake us. Your power has not been diluted or depleted over the ages. You are just as powerful…just as much in authority…as You were in Creation; in the deliverance of Your people from Egypt and in the parting of the Red Sea. You are the One who sends down the fire.[3] Who fells the giants.[4] Who makes wars to cease.[5] Who raises the dead![6]
As we look ahead into the New Year and even further ahead, we choose to place our trust in You. If “…the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord,”[7] we trust in You. If “…the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging,”[8]we trust in You. Though …”nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall…,”[9] we in trust You. When …”the wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright…,[10]” we trust in You. We trust You. We trust You!
Now arise, O Lord God. Look on us, Your people who are called by Your name. Listen to us, as we cry out for the New Year. Do not reject us. Have pity on us.
We feel the encroaching evil. “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples…”[13] Darkness and gloom are descending. Those who hate us are infiltrating us. Those who are dedicated to destroying us are all around us. Are You at the head of this army? Is this the beginning of the Day of the Lord? Have we tried Your patience and crossed the line into Your judgment? Are You holding us accountable for our sin and rebellion and defiance, for our profanity and blasphemy and idolatry? “You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before You when You are angry?”[14] Are You?
Light of the world. “Arise, shine” Your light into the darkness of our own hearts.[15] Most Holy God. You are righteous. You always do the right thing. We have done wrong. Your light reveals we are covered with shame because we know better. We have had generations of blessing and prosperity, yet we have refused to thank You and instead give ourselves credit for what has come from Your hand. We have agreed with those who contradict Your Word. We have turned away from Your truth and believed lies. We have treated life casually. We have destroyed our environment selfishly. We have passed by the needy uncaringly. We have demanded entitlements defiantly. We have not listened to those who have warned us of the consequences of drifting from You. Because we don’t know You, we don’t know ourselves, and wallow in the uncertain twilight of gender non-binary confusion.
And now, as we look into the New Year, we come face to face with a mess. What can be done to save us from ourselves? Even as the question reverberates in our minds, the answer is given: the solution to our spiritual and moral meltdown—to the restoration of the crumbling foundation of our nation—is not politics, nor the economy, nor health care, nor welfare or immigration reforms, nor free higher education, nor the court system, nor corporate or Wall Street regulation. You are the Answer. You are the Solution. Yet instead of turning to You, we seem to be turning farther and farther away from You. But not now. Now we turn back. We turn around. We re-turn to You. We run to You. We cling to You. We plead with You…
Turn to us! Draw near to us![16] If You do not help us, we will be defenseless. If You do not protect us, we will be exposed to danger. If You do not deliver us from evil, we will be overcome by it. If You do not have plans to give us hope and a future, we will slide into the past tense as a nation.[17] Into oblivion.
Father of all mercies. We believe that this is a year that You care for; that Your eyes are continually on it from the beginning to its end.[18] As You look on 2026 from January 1st to December 31st, we ask for what we know we don’t deserve. We ask for Your blessing. Please…
And now, God of grace, as we pray for the New Year, we ask bottom-line that You send down Your Holy Spirit in fullness. Ignite the fire of revival in our own hearts. Protect us. Defend us. Comfort us. Empower us. Equip us as we put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes…so that when the day of evil comes, we may be able to stand our ground…taking up the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God…and pray. With this in mind, we remain self-controlled and alert while we keep on praying until we prevail in prayer.[30] And we keep on watching expectantly. Is this the decade of Your return? We fervently hope so! Even so, come Lord Jesus…[31]
For the glory of Your great name…Jesus,
Amen
[1] Romans 8:28
[2] 2 Chronicles 20:6
[3] 2 Chronicles 7:1
[4] 1 Samuel 17:1-50
[5] Psalm 46:9
[6] 2 Kings 4:1-37; Luke 7:11-16; 8:40-42, 49-56; Ephesians 1:17-21
[7] Psalm 2:2
[8] Psalm 46:2-3
[9] Psalm 46:6
[10] Psalm 37:14
[11] Nahum 1:3
[12] 2 Chronicles 6:18
[13] Isaiah 60:2
[14] Psalm 76:7
[15] Isaiah 60:1
[16] James 4:8
[17] Jeremiah 29:11-13
[18] Deuteronomy 11:11
[19] 2 Chronicles 15:1-17
[20] 2 Chronicles 19:4-20:32
[21] 2 Chronicles 34:1-33
[22] 2 Chronicles 19:8-11
[23] Ezra 7:10
[24] 2 Timothy 2:15; 4:1-2
[25] 2 Chronicles 20:12
[26] 2 Timothy 2:21
[27] John 9:4
[28] Ephesians 6:19
[29] Ephesians 3:14-19
[30] Ephesians 6;10-18; 1 Peter 4:7
[31] Revelation 22:20
**This prayer has been adapted from one released January 1, 2016.
June 18, 2025
When hiking or camping, one of the most important pieces of equipment to have is a compass. It guides a person to the desired destination with the needle that is set to align with the earth’s magnetic field north. No matter which way the compass is turned, the needle points north, and a person can adjust direction accordingly.
From time to time, a compass can get air bubbles or be exposed to extreme temperatures, interference from nearby electronics, or other magnetized objects. These can cause the needle to lose its magnetic pull to the north. When this happens, the compass needs to be reset.
The compass that has guided the United States of America to world prominence and prosperity, helping to navigate us through incredible challenges that have included a civil war and two world wars, has been our faith in God. He is the “north” on our “compass.” He is the Center-point. We were founded on Judeo-Christian principles. We are one nation, under God. Even our monetary currency declares, In God We Trust. But we seem to have lost our way. It’s time for a reset of our national moral and spiritual compass.
In olden days, when the nation of Judah also had lost her way, God raised up the prophet Isaiah to get the attention of the people. In Isaiah’s opening message, he thundered: Hear O heavens! Listen O earth! For the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:2) It was time to pay attention to God’s Word. And what did God say? Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him. (Isaiah 1:4) God pinpointed the primary problem that had caused the nation to go off-course. It wasn’t political. It wasn’t environmental. It wasn’t social or racial. It wasn’t financial. The primary problem was sin. Rebellion against God. Defiance of Him. They had forsaken the God of their fathers. Judah needed a moral and spiritual reset.
God then issued to Judah a gracious invitation: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) In order for Judah to reset her moral and spiritual compass, she had to acknowledge her sin and rebellion against God, then turn away from it and ask for His cleansing.
But with God’s invitation came a warning: “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:19-20)
As I pay attention to what God is saying, I believe His word to Judah through the prophet Isaiah is very relevant to us also. It’s time for us as a nation—both leaders and people– to acknowledge our sin and rebellion against Him, turn away from it, and ask Him for national cleansing. If we reject His timely invitation, we do so at our own peril.
The choice is ours. What will it be? Will we return to our faith in God? Or will we continue in rebellion against Him on a path that leads to our destruction? If every American’s choice is a reflection of yours, will we as a nation navigate our way out of the destructive course we are on? Join me as together we listen to and heed God’s Word, renew our faith in Him as we reset our compass, then follow His direction seeking to live a life that receives His blessing. As a result, may God truly bless America.
May 7, 2025
“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.” PSALM 78:4
Today our world is in turmoil. Things are changing so fast…what was right yesterday is wrong today. What was wrong yesterday is right today. It can be chaotic and confusing, especially to the next generation. But God’s Word doesn’t change!
Listen in as three generations of Jesus followers share what it means to be intentional about embracing the Truth for ourselves, then passing the Truth to our children and grandchildren. Be encouraged as they share their family stories and invite you to leave your own legacy of faith.
Join Anne, her daughter Rachel-Ruth, and her granddaughter Riggin as they share about what it means to leave a legacy of faith.
This video was filmed in February 2025 for the Legacy Grandparenting Conference.
January 23, 2025
…Our struggle is not against flesh and blood… Ephesians 6:12
Less than one week before the inauguration of President Trump a Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast was held on January 14 at Mar-a-Lago. I was given the privilege of being one of the opening speakers, challenging Jews and Christians at this critical time and in that strategic place to return to God in sincere repentance and faith.
I had been asked also to speak a second time after lunch, but the program took a different turn and I was never called on. The following blog is the second message that God had put on my heart at 1:43 a.m. that morning. Because it is still in my heart, I am sharing it with you.
The opening two paragraphs are my additional thoughts today.
On Tuesday, January 21, the first full day in office for President Trump, he attended what was described as a prayer service at the National Cathedral led by Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde. In her remarks, she said, In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families — some who fear for their lives. She went on to defend illegal immigration using God’s name and twisting His Word out of context in order to support her remarks. To my knowledge, there was no prayer of blessing, no word of encouragement, nothing that would draw the President or those gathered closer to God. If anything, she would drive people away by her spiritual arrogance, divisive condescension and mean spiritedness.
Rev. Budde is a poster-child for what’s wrong with many American churches—there are false prophets in the pulpit. And what’s wrong in the churches permeates those who sit in the pews until the church has a form of godliness, but deny its power. (2 Timothy 3:5)
Anne’s second message —
The basic problem in our nation is not our politics, or health care, or racial prejudice, or inflation, or polarization, or immigration, or enemy threats, or whatever else you can name. It’s not China or Iran or North Korea. While each of those areas are problems, the fundamental problem is spiritual and moral.
My beloved friend, Priscilla Shirer, tells a wonderful story from when her third son was young. She had taken him to the Fall Festival at their church which was held in the parking lot. A variety of games were offered for the children at various booths, but the favorite one was in the back of a pick-up truck. It was a version of “whack-a-mole” that can be found at almost every state fair. This one was homemade with a blanket stretched across the bed of the truck with holes cut into it, and various puppets popping up through the holes. A plastic bat was given to the child to “play” the game by hitting the puppets to make them stay down. But as soon as one puppet was hit, another popped up. And so the game went on. The line to the game was very long, and Priscilla’s son became restless and impatient. He suddenly let go of his mother’s hand and before she could grab him, ran up to the truck, jerked off the blanket, and exposed several startled adults lying on their backs with puppet covered hands raised up in the air! In other words, the children had been whacking at what they could see but the real problem was underneath the blanket.
Priscilla’s story illustrates that America’s basic problem is not one that we can see in the visible world. It is “underneath” in the invisible world. We are in a cosmic battle between good and evil, light and darkness, truth and deception. The apostle Paul makes it clear…For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly (invisible) realms. Ephesians 6:12
How are we to respond? While we may need to address in practical terms the “pop-ups”, we should not be distracted from what’s really going on “underneath”. At this moment there are two imperatives:
As President Trump is selecting and naming his cabinet and staff, I’m reminded that Jesus is also calling you and me to follow and serve Him during these incredibly significant days. We are nearing the end of all things. Will you answer His call? Because make no mistake about it…in the end, Jesus wins! Until that day, may He find us faithful.
October 3, 2024
In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them…Isaiah 63:9
My heart is broken. My tears unending. My mind reeling from the images coming out of Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The destruction is beyond belief!
So many of you have written, texted, emailed and called to express your heartfelt concern and prayers. Thank you!
Invariably I’m being asked, “How is your family?” “How is your father’s house?” Everyone of my family who live in the area have been accounted for. My father’s house, as I understand, is intact, although the road to it is impassable.
The town of Montreat where I grew up, and which I still consider “home,” has no power, food, water, or internet. The roads are washed away. People cannot get in or out. The town where my sister lives, Black Mountain, is underwater. In pictures, I can just see the top of the train station roof above the flood waters…the same train station where we used to meet Daddy when he came home from his trips. The town where I went to high school, Swannanoa, has virtually been erased. Eradicated. It is no more. The village of Biltmore where my mother loved to go for lunch, and where I still take my daughters and granddaughters, has been virtually destroyed by flood waters that went as high as fifteen to 20 feet. Boone, where my brother lives, has been underwater also, with no food, water, power or cell service. And those are only the places I am familiar with. I can’t imagine people in Georgia, Tennessee, and the mountain coves where people are tucked away and may not be located for a long time. Everyone cut off without power, cell service, food, drinkable water, medicines, baby formula, and the list goes on. God have mercy on us! While FEMA and the government have been absent, my brother’s organization, Samaritan’s Purse, has an army of volunteers on the ground, as well as helicopters in the air. I encourage you to volunteer or donate to Samaritan’s Purse and designate it for Western North Carolina.
Psalm 29:10 has been emblazoned on my mind. The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. I know He is in charge. He is in control. He could have contained this flood. If He is Lord over it, why didn’t He? This is one of those times when I simply bow to His sovereignty and trust Him when I have no answers to “why.” But I cling to what His word says: Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it.[1] I know God loves the people of Western North Carolina. I am one of them. So I claim His promise in Psalm 29:11: The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.
It’s time to pray…
Sovereign Lord,
Words fail me. What can I say? How can I pray? Nothing like this has ever happened to the place and the people that I love. My people. Like Isaiah when King Uzziah died, help me to look up. To see You on the throne.[2] I know You are righteous in everything You do.[3] You don’t make mistakes. Your purpose is perfect. Your love unfailing. You are faithful to every generation. Please! Strengthen Your people. Give them peace in the midst of the mud, destruction and death. Bring them help to cut down fallen trees, rebuild bridges, restore power and cell service, connect people with their loved ones. Energize churches and Your people outside the area to gather and distribute critical relief supplies. Give the volunteers multiple opportunities to have Gospel conversations with those they help. Comfort those who are not only coping with the physical destruction, but who are grieving over family members or friends who have been lost or can’t be found.
God of Mercy, cause the people struggling with the aftermath of Helene to look up. To turn to You. Please. Could this be one reason You have allowed such devastation? Use it to get people’s attention, draw them to Yourself, then show up in power to strengthen, encourage, and help them overcome the massive challenges they face. You have promised that when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You will be with us.[4] We claim the gentleness and quietness of Your presence, like the mist in the valleys, to settle on Western North Carolina, bringing life, healing, and hope.
PS Please, dear God, we know You can multi-task. So while you are at work in Western North Carolina, we praise you for giving supernatural, miraculous protection to Israel during the missile barrage from Iran. We know You used the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow air defense systems, but only You could possibly have made the systems 100% effective. Thank You! Now we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Great Lion of Judah, defend and protect the land and the people upon whom You have placed Your name. Use the enemy attacks to turn the hearts of Your people to You. Open their eyes to see Yeshua as Your Son and their Messiah.
We ask this humbly and boldly in His name,
Amen
[1] Song of Solomon 8:7
[2] Isaiah 6:1
[3] Daniel 9:14
[4] Psalm 23:4
