As I look into the months and years ahead, I wonder…Will things get better? Will we get back to whatever normal is? What will the future hold for my granddaughters, one of whom dreams of being an architect, one who dreams of being an international lawyer, and one who wants to be a superb hairstylist, make-up artist, and mom? Because you and I have no idea what the future holds, the best thing we can do for our children and our grandchildren is to teach them about the One who holds the future!
Often I am asked how my parents taught me and influenced my faith. It’s difficult to single out one or two things because everything they did, and all that they were, impacted me. Looking back, I remember my mother gathering almost everyone who was in the house for morning devotions. She would read a portion of Scripture, pray, then we were sent out into our day. I never enjoyed these times because they seemed to add to the pressure of trying to collect my books and papers, while getting my hair to look just right before dashing out the door to school. I always seemed short of time. BUT she taught me by her example the importance of daily Bible reading and prayer, preferably in the morning.
My father, on the other hand, was almost never with us at our early breakfast or when we rushed out the door in the morning. He led devotions at night. I loved it when he did because he would read a portion of Scripture, then would stop and ask questions. We would discuss it. He taught me by his example to not only read my Bible, but to think about what I was reading.
The example of both my parents has stayed with me all my life. To this day, I read my Bible and pray every morning, making the time to meditate on and think about what I am reading.
I am forever grateful for parents and grandparents who taught me about anchoring my faith in God’s Word by their words and also by their example. As a result, when I was a young girl I placed my faith in God’s Word that told me I was a sinner– that God’s Son had come to be my Savior—that through faith in Him I could be forgiven–receive eternal life—be born again into His family. My faith remains firmly fixed today in a world that is spiraling down at warp speed. I know that I am eternally secure whatever unfolds, whether cancer, death, COVID, war, sky-rocketing inflation, cancel culture, racial tension…and the list goes on. It’s this blessed assurance I’m safe forever that I want my granddaughters to have for themselves.
Understanding that there are many of you who did not have parents or grandparents who were strong in faith, my daughter, Rachel-Ruth, and I want to share with you some of the lessons we learned within our home. I’m also aware that you yourself may be a parent who feels you have failed in this regard. Our sincere prayer is that Jesus Followers: Real Life Lessons to Ignite Faith in the Next Generation, will be a resource for you as well as a source of rich blessing.
If you and I do not pass truth that leads to faith to the next generation, who will? Will sincere, authentic, vibrant faith die out in our generation? The answer is up to you and me. So plant your faith in the Word of God, then pass it on.
For His Glory,
*How many times does it say that those listed were commended by God, and why were they? Give phrases with verse numbers.
*Why do you think Abel was singled out for commendation? Compare Hebrews 11:4 with
Genesis 4:1-8 and Hebrews 9:22.
To celebrate my son-in-law, Steven Wright’s, incredibly successful season as head football coach, we shared a great meal together before I caught my granddaughters in the parking garage for a quick picture. Even though being a teenager today includes many challenges, each one has chosen to be a Jesus Follower, for which I praise God. L. to R. Bell, Sophia, and Riggin.
From the time he was the quarterback for the University of North Carolina football team until today when he holds the position of quarterback coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs (which includes being Tom Brady’s coach), Clyde Christiensen has been in our home and a beloved part of our extended family. God has used him to be a Jesus Follower role model for my children and grandchildren. (L. to R. my granddaughter Sophia, Rachel-Ruth, Morrow, Clyde, and I at the FCA Coaches Conference in Black Mountain, NC that Clyde helps lead every summer)
Joel Rosenberg is a best-selling author, publisher of All Israel News, and beloved friend. He invited me to give the keynote address at the Joshua Fund Gathering at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. One aspect of Joel’s unique calling is to develop Jesus Followers of Jews first, and then Gentiles – Romans 1:16. I also had the joy of meeting with his wife, Lynn (top center), her mother (seated next to me), and the rest of her family who are all Jesus Followers.
Rachel-Ruth finished recording the audio version of our book, Jesus Followers, in three days! She praised God for His faithfulness….“I had bronchitis and didn’t even have a voice the day before I began reading. But the Lord miraculously gave me a voice strong enough to record the entire book! Rereading the book has me even more excited and thankful to God for how He led me to write each story! I had to stop reading several times because at times I got so teary! I pray that as you either read or listen to this book, God will use it in your life as a helpful resource that encourages you to pass on that legacy of faith to your kids and grandkids!!”
Dr. John Ankerberg’s television show is seen in all 50 states, plus 200 countries. It was my privilege to video tape multiple shows with him back in the Spring for Jesus in Me. He has invited me to return, this time with Rachel-Ruth, in order to tape shows for Jesus Followers. What a special privilege to do this together as mother and daughter. I am looking forward to the blessing I know it will be for us.
In order to instill truth that leads to genuine faith, parents and grandparents must be intentional. Using the metaphor of a relay race, Anne and Rachel-Ruth demonstrate how the baton of faith is passed from generation to generation through our witness, our worship, our walk, and our work. Within the framework of Anne’s exploration of biblical characters from Genesis 5, Rachel-Ruth tells family stories that will encourage, inspire, and motivate Christians to follow hard after Jesus and to develop their children and grandchildren into Jesus Followers.
In the midst of these Last Days, Anne and Rachel-Ruth share about impacting our world with our ongoing legacy. What will our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors remember about us when we are gone, either because of death or the return of Jesus? Will they remember that in these troubling days we brought Him glory because we shared the Gospel, lived an authentic life of faith, and stayed focused on Heaven? We pray that these messages will encourage you to do all you can to live in this ungodly world as one who leaves a godly legacy of the gospel, of authenticity, of faith and of hope whenever the time comes for you to leave.
Message 1 – A Legacy of the Gospel (Romans 1:1-17) AGL
Message 2 – An Authentic Legacy (Joshua 23-24; Judges 2) RR
Message 3 – A Legacy of Faith (Hebrews 11) AGL
Message 4 – A Legacy of Hope (Various) AGL / RR
Every day since she was a young girl, Anne has been reading Daily Light, the life-changing devotional of Scripture compilations given to her by her mother, Ruth Bell Graham. Published originally in 1794 by Samuel Bagster, this revised leather-bound edition of the revered classic, complete with gold-edged pages in the New King James Version, includes an introduction by Anne as well as a selection of more than 50 topical Bible readings that she compiled exclusively for this edition.
Anne’s daughter, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright, is leading an online women’s Bible study. You can join her live or review the recorded study on our website (click here to visit). Here is a personal note from Rachel-Ruth:
If there was ever a time to be in God’s Word it is now!! We are studying the second half of Genesis this year. I love the Old Testament! The Lord led me to go back to the beginning . . . where human history began. It’s been so encouraging to study the stories of His amazing grace, love, and faithfulness to not only Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but also to others on the periphery. We all need a word from the Lord. We are hungry to hear from Him.
Since we are online, God has given this Bible study wings to reach people all over our country and the world, including Russia, Lebanon, Germany, Belgium and Australia. Register in order to join us live on Tuesdays, at 12:15 ET, or in order to watch the recorded sessions on demand. God is speaking and we are learning to listen!
This study will meet through mid-November and then start up again in January 2022.
If you would like to receive AnGeL Ministries’ full newsletter by email or postal delivery, click here to sign up for our free resources!
The purpose of our new book, JESUS FOLLOWERS, is to urge you to walk with God. Starting now, if you aren’t already. Now. While you have the opportunity.
I continue to be thankful for how Rachel-Ruth seeks to pass the Baton to her three girls and also diligently endeavors to pass it to other children and their parents, who need encouragement as they run their race of faith.
As you read Rachel-Ruth’s story from JESUS FOLLOWERS, I pray you will be prompted to seek opportunities to pass the Baton to those within your home, as well as to others in your wider circle of influence.
For His Glory,
When we’re walking in step with God, the Holy Spirit may give us a nudge, an intuition, a sense of foreboding, an urgency, a strong vision of a person or situation, a burden on our hearts, a nagging feeling, a check in our spirits. We have to be careful not to ignore these “red-flag warnings”. Instead, we need to take whatever it is to prayer immediately and allow God to show us how to take action, if that seems called for.
Even though I often feel insignificant and powerless, I know God uses my prayers. I have been leading my mom’s personal prayer team for the past ten years. She established a prayer team when she started her ministry, because she knew she couldn’t do all that God had called her to unless she was covered in prayer. We meet once a week for the singular purpose of praying through any prayer requests she may have personally or in her ministry. Each of the other seven ladies who meet with me are amazing prayer warriors, some of whom have been on my mom’s prayer team for over thirty years.
One fall morning in Raleigh, we were praying for my mom, who was teaching her yearly seminar at The Cove in Asheville. As we prayed through each of her requests, I kept getting a picture in my head of a bear! I felt an urgency to pray that no bears would harm Mom while she was staying at a cabin on The Cove property in the mountains, especially since she loves to go on walks. Honestly, I felt a little like I was being overly dramatic, but I knew it was the Lord putting bears on my heart. The Holy Spirit was giving me a serious red-flag warning, and I needed to respond to it by praying.
That afternoon Mom called and told me about something that had happened when she headed out for her afternoon walk. As she left the cabin, she realized she had forgotten her cell phone, so she returned to the cabin to get it. When she went back outside, she noticed a movement in the woods below the cabin porch. She quietly stood, staring at the movement, then realized it was a bear. Because my mom is adventurous, she at first thought how fun it was to see a bear out in the wild. Then, to her astonishment, she saw that the bear was heading straight for her! She immediately ran into the cabin and shut the door. The bear walked up on the cabin porch, where she had just been standing. She described him as looking deranged, like he was half-starved. He had bald patches on his back, he was thin, and he was growling. He jerked his head back and forth, sniffing the air. Then he looked into the cabin through the large window. He stood up on his back feet, growling. He actually walked around the cabin two more times; but in the end, praise the Lord, he walked away. Mom said that if she had not returned to get her cell phone, she would have begun her walk on the gravel road, and the bear would have caught her too far from the cabin for her to run to safety.
What would have happened if I hadn’t responded to that burden to pray against any potential threat from a bear? How faithful God was to give me those spiritual instincts—those red flags from the Holy Spirit—to know when and how to pray.
God continues to remind me to heed His prompts. At times I’ll skip a particular gas station and drive to another because something doesn’t feel right. Or I’ll be talking to someone and get an uneasy feeling, a warning in my spirit to be on guard with that person. Or I’ll be listening to a conference speaker, and an alarm bell goes off in my head, warning me that what the person is saying is not true to God’s Word.
Is God warning you about something? Could the Holy Spirit be giving you red-flag warnings to protect you and those around you? To get you to change direction or alter your schedule? Or to alert you how to pray?
In these last days of human history, now more than ever, I know I need to spend time in prayer and in God’s Word, developing a sensitivity to the Spirit’s warnings as I choose to heed the red flags. He is my Defender. My Protector. My Good Shepherd will lead me in the right paths if I follow Him. My walk of faith is much safer when I do.
For His Glory,
Rachel-Ruth L. Wright
This is a picture I took of the actual bear Rachel-Ruth speaks about in her story of Red Flag Warnings. I’m so thankful for a daughter that heeds His warnings! Only Heaven will reveal all the unknown dangers God has protected us from throughout the years in answer to prayer.
Message taken from Anne and Rachel-Ruth’s new book, Jesus Followers. Releases October 2021.
Once a week, I walk with a friend. We have two rules that we follow: we must walk at the same pace and we must walk in the same direction, or we won’t be walking together. The same two rules apply to walking with God. We must walk at His pace which is step-by-step obedience to His Word, and we must walk in His direction, which is the surrender of our will to His. Isn’t it time you took a walk with God?
*Restate the command God gave to Abraham in v.1. Give the three phrases that indicate Abraham’s obedience to that command in vs.4-5.
*How old was Abraham when he followed through on his commitment to pursue God?
What a joy to share Mother’s Day with my family…and with you! To help celebrate, I pulled in Rachel-Ruth and her youngest daughter, Riggin, for a video blog. Each of us spontaneously shared life-lessons we took from our mothers. The thread through the generations was the example of authentic faith in God’s Word.
Every May, Naismith Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Sylvia Hatchell invites Rachel-Ruth’s Bible study, plus friends, neighbors and family from far and wide to come for a picnic at her beautiful home. Hundreds of men and women gather for inspirational music and barbecue. Then as the sun sets and the geese fly overhead, Rachel-Ruth and I have the privilege of sharing God’s Word.
Dr. Ed Young graciously invited me to give the message at all three of his Mother’s Day services at 2nd Baptist Church in Houston, TX. I was warmly received by all. Dozens of people responded to the invitation to surrender their lives to Jesus.
What a privilege I was given to address the United in Purpose attendees on the opening night of their conference–in ATT Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play! Coach Tom Landry said the difference between good athletes and great athletes is about 18 inches– the distance from the head to the heart. I made the same comparison using Isaiah as an example of someone who made the transition from his head to his heart when he experienced personal revival as a result of deep repentance of sin. Then I invited the attendees to draw a circle around themselves, and make sure everything in the circle was right with God.
Steve Dick, the president and CEO of Inspiration Tours, is my dear friend who has organized three of my trips to Israel and is now supervising the plans for my Mother’s Day Tour in May 2022. He also hosted the Fresno/Clovis, CA, Prayer Breakfast which was held in the Grizzlies Baseball stadium, and invited me to speak to those gathered. It was a fully blessed time of ministry that included a visit to his office.
After not traveling for fourteen months due to COVID restrictions, my first time on the road was to Austin, TX, to speak to the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. I was richly blessed by Governor Abbott who went out of his way to affirm me personally, then gave a powerful testimony of his faith in God and the importance of prayer in his life.
The daughter and granddaughter of Billy Graham offer a warm and inspiring glimpse into their family life, sharing stories that reveal spiritual wisdom and practical insight for raising the next generation of Jesus Followers.
In order to instill truth that leads to genuine faith, parents and grandparents must be intentional. Using the metaphor of a relay race, Anne Graham Lotz and her daughter, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright, demonstrate how the baton of faith is passed from generation to generation through our witness, our worship, our walk, and our work. Within the framework of Anne’s exploration of biblical characters from Genesis 5, Rachel-Ruth tells family stories that will encourage, inspire, and motivate Christians to follow hard after Jesus and to develop their children and grandchildren into Jesus Followers.
While some stories are funny, some heart-wrenching, others awe-inspiring, each “snapshot” conveys a spiritual truth along with an application that will help you continue, or begin, building a legacy of authentic faith.
When you preorder Jesus Followers,
you will also receive:
Join Rachel-Ruth for Bible Study in SeptemberAnne’s daughter, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright, is leading an online women’s Bible study. You can join her live or review the recorded study on our website (click here to visit). Here is a personal note from Rachel-Ruth:
If there was ever a time to be in God’s Word it is now!! I am so excited to have Bible study starting back up! We are going to study the second half of Genesis this year. I love the Old Testament, and I felt like the Lord led me to go back to the beginning . . . where it all started.
I’m looking forward to all that God wants to teach us. I think we all need it and are hungry to hear from Him. Since we will be online, let’s pray God gives wings to this Bible study to reach people all over the country and the world!
I can’t wait to go back to Israel and share this blessing with you! I have chosen May 3-13, 2022, as the dates for the tour because they include Mother’s Day. How special it will be to enjoy this Mother’s Day Tour: For Women Only, as we also celebrate this meaningful time of the year. Together.
Many of you have come to know my daughter, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright, through her weekly online Bible study. I have invited her to share the teaching responsibilities with me so that at each significant site you will be richly fed.
I promise this is a blessing you won’t want to miss! Please invite your friends, your daughters, your granddaughters, your mothers, your grandmothers, your aunts, and your sisters to participate in what I know will be a life-enriching and faith-strengthening experience.
If you would like to receive AnGeL Ministries’ full newsletter by email or postal delivery, click here to sign up for our free resources!
We at AnGeL Ministries are praising God for the impact of our online Bible study, Jesus in Me, which was offered in partnership with FaithGateway. Over 150,000 people participated! The brief testimonies that follow are evidence that God’s Word brings light to our understanding and joy to our hearts…
• I am amazed how great Anne’s Bible Study method opens up the Word of God for me. I am seeing things that I’ve never seen before. This has forever changed my Bible studying (KD)
• WOW & WOW!!! It gets wower each day and session!!! I am loving this Bible Study, and I am learning much wisdom. I always tried to read the Bible in a day…too much pressure & didn’t really capture revelation to the extent needed. I really enjoy and find much more significance in breaking it down, a few verses each day, so I can meditate, as we are being shown & taught here. This is much more effective for me.…Taking it slowly but surely & loving it; I am so grateful!!! I want to prepare myself, so when I meet Jesus on THAT DAY/face-to-face, I will be prepared!!! THANK YOU!!! (JS)
• This study has helped me become not only more dedicated to study, but to understand how the Holy Spirit whispers to my spirit what He would have me to hear and learn in that scripture I’m reading. I’m sensing a more powerful application and conviction of God’s word by taking time to listen, work through, and apply every scripture I read…(DD)
• I grew up in a church with much the same emphasis as Anne in regard to the Holy Spirit. He was viewed more as a 3rd person. Not as important as God and Jesus. I never heard a lot of in-depth teaching on the Holy Spirit. I’m 77 and have been a follower of Christ most of those years. I’ve spent my life in missions, but this study is opening my eyes as never before to the invisible Jesus who lives in my life and I’m excited for all that is yet to come. Wow! It can’t get better than that! (CP)
• My life is completely different knowing the Holy Spirit is a living person inside me. (CC)
• I’ve felt a little lost the last few years and need to be obedient and return to reading my Bible. At the close of the Bible study, the tears were flowing and I heard the small whisper of the Holy Spirit saying “I AM HERE”. (BG)
• I woke up discouraged and feeling very hopeless…I’m reminded that Jesus is there to help me, living inside me…Alive! There’s Hope because we serve an Almighty God Who loves us so tenderly. (N)
• I had a stroke two days ago and needless to say it scared me silly. My writing was completely impaired. Tonight as I am trying to pick up this study, I am reading John 14:25-27. When I could not read my own writing, I was reminded that the Holy Spirit knows and understands all that scribbling…. I’ve got the Holy Spirit by my side even when I’m sick. (B)
• I am thrilled…to hear the “whispers of the Holy Spirit.” I have been doing Bible studies for years, but this is really a blessing as an approach for studying. I especially like the questioning step. It is like adding Miracle Grow. The more I freely question, the deeper it goes. I think not restricting or limiting the questioning really makes a difference for me. (VH)
• I am so excited to know more in this study of God’s Holy Spirit and how I can truly hear him speak to me. I believe Jesus had Anne write this book for the brokenhearted women out there who need God’s holy, precious Word to speak to us. (RS)
• I love having the comfort and peace of knowing that the Holy Spirit is living in me, loves me, and guides me even when my focus may become blurred. He is always there to bring clarity! (JH)
• I realize that I have to unlearn what I did before. The discovery of reading, praying, and asking God is the way He is quieting my heart and mind as I enter His presence. No additional resources are needed: only God, His Word and me with my pen and notebook.(JD)
• I’m understanding more from the verses I read than I ever have before. Who knew I was starved and unaware of the food that was waiting for me. (C)
• Since this Bible Study started, I have noticed that my prayer life has improved a lot. I realize now that the Holy Spirit is working inside me to direct my prayers. I must admit my prayer life used to be in shambles, as I kept repeating myself and Satan did his best to discourage me from praying. Now, with the Holy Spirit guiding me, my prayer life is much better, and I can truly thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. (PM)
These are only a few of the testimonies we have received at AnGeL Ministries. I find them truly thrilling and very encouraging! If each person who participated in this study online turns around and offers it to others, or facilitates a Jesus in Me study group in church or at home, would God the Holy Spirit use it to spark revival in the hearts of His people? Please, Father God, let it be so.
For Your Glory. Amen.
If you were unable to participate in the online study offered by FaithGateway, it is still available through AnGeL Ministries by clicking here.
Steve Noble, a long-time friend of both my husband and myself, hosts a daily radio show, Called2Action, that has a broad outreach. While talking with him on air, he also set up his camera for a live Facebook event. He is energetic, a little edgy, and I always enjoy our discussions.
Dr. Brent Crowe is VP of Student Leadership University, Orlando, FL. He is partnering with Lifeway to produce a video Bible Study that will include interviews with influential evangelical leaders he believes will impact the next generation. My daughter, Rachel-Ruth, and I were both privileged to be invited to participate in a video interview.
MCI, a church based in Bogota, Colombia, invited me to give two messages to their annual convention that draws over 100,000 people and is broadcast in five languages. I recorded the first message, which underscored the Gospel, from my office studio. The staff was able to put me in front of a stained glass backdrop. The second message, which was a call for God’s people to repent of sin, was given from my home in a more personal setting. Both messages concluded with a prayer for those who wanted to either commit, or recommit, their lives to Jesus.
Give phrases from the following verses for each of the statements below:
119:9-11; 119:105; 119:72; 119:11; 119:24; 119:9; 119:28; 119:47; 119:88; 119:103; 119:111; 119:127; 119:130; 119:143; 119:159; 119:162; 119:165
THE JOY OF MY HEART
THE TREASURE THAT I SEEK
The video and study guide are sold separately.
In Jesus in Me, Anne draws on her rich biblical knowledge as well as her personal story—including her recent cancer journey—to help us understand that the Holy Spirit is not a
magic genie, a flame of fire, or a vague feeling. He is a Person who prays for us, guides us in our relationships and decisions, comforts us in pain, and stays by our side at all times. In this simple, yet profound teaching, she explores seven key aspects of the Holy Spirit that will revolutionize how you understand and relate to this vital third Person of the Trinity.
Like all of us, Anne has lived through a very challenging year. As she sought the Lord, His Spirit seemed to whisper to her from John 17. As a result, she developed three powerful messages based on what the Spirit seemed to be saying to her: Jesus Is Praying for You. She shared the messages in November at her annual seminar at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, and AnGeL Ministries is offering them now for the first time. Added to this album is a fourth message given at that same seminar by Anne’s daughter, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright. Based on Esther, this message addresses the fear that is present in the world. We believe all four messages are very timely and will be a blessing to you.
If you would like to receive AnGeL Ministries’ full newsletter by email or postal delivery, click here to sign up for our free resources!
“I pray for them.” — John 17:9
For the last few months I have parked myself in John 17, the prayer the disciples overheard Jesus praying the night He was betrayed. The truly stunning element to this prayer is that facing the horror of His arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death, as well as the subsequent fear, grief, and confusion that would overwhelm His disciples, Jesus prayed for them. And for me. And for you.
In John 17:9 Jesus says: “I pray for them”. While He was speaking specifically of His 11 disciples, we can apply His words to ourselves as followers of Jesus. So in this time of chaos, confusion, and fear; disease, death, and disasters, I have received enormous encouragement and hope from knowing that Jesus is praying for me. And for you. Wherever you may be, wrap your heart around the knowledge that Jesus is praying for you.
What is Jesus praying for? While He prayed for different things, there are three things that the Holy Spirit continually seems to whisper to my heart as we face this troubled and trying New Year.
First, Jesus is praying for our focus to remain fixed on our relationship with Him. He knows how easy it is for us to slip into focusing on our pain or problems or politics; on our health or home; on our circumstances or crisis; on our finances or family. He begins His prayer addressing the Almighty God of the Universe…the One associated with fire and lightning and thunder and awesome displays of power…as Father. While He is not equating God with your father or mine, He is emphasizing that you and I can have a personal relationship with God. The apostle Paul further confirms the personal relationship by saying we can call God, “Abba”1 …Daddy.
Jesus goes on to reveal that God has given Him authority to give us eternal life, which is not only opening Heaven for us when we die, which He does, praise God!…but Jesus has the authority to offer us an intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit… right now. In verse three Jesus uses the word “know”, which is the same word used to describe an intimate relationship between a husband and wife. So in these troubled times stay focused on your relationship with God and His relationship with you. He loves you! He is your Father and you are His beloved child!
Secondly, Jesus prays that you and I would be faithful to His Word when He says, “I gave them the Word you have given Me, and they have received them.” Our faith does not rest on our circumstances or problems or what somebody has said or the opinions of others. It does not rest in our feelings, or our emotions, or in what’s swirling around us. It does not rest on what we can see, feel, taste, touch, or smell. Our faith is to be firmly fixed on the Word of God. This is a time to read the Bible. Every day. Then we need to apply it to our lives, live it out in obedience, and share what it says with others. In a rapidly changing world, the Word of God does not change. The Bible says that God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven.2 You can count on it. It’s trustworthy and true. God is a gentleman. You can take Him at His word. Let’s recommit to opening our Bibles, listening for His voice to speak to us through the pages.
Thirdly, Jesus prays for our future: “Father I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.” As our world personally, nationally, and globally seems to be falling apart, I long to see Jesus. I long for the world to see Him as He is — in glory and power. I long for Him to come back to rule in righteousness, justice, and peace. But at the end of this prayer, we discover that Jesus also has intense longings. He longs to come back. He longs to see us. He’s yearning to be with His followers. He is longing for us to see Him in His glory. Jesus promised in John 14:3: “I’m going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you to Myself that where I am you may be also.” At any moment the sky is going to unfold. We’re going to hear the blast of the trumpet. Jesus Himself will descend with a loud shout, and those of us who are alive on earth are going to be caught up to live with Him forever in His heavenly home.3 On that day we’re going to see Him in His glory. We are going to see Him seated on the throne of Heaven surrounded by thousands upon thousands, ten thousand upon ten thousand, millions of angels. And down here where increasingly we’re not allowed to even say His name…down here where His name is blasphemed and profaned, denied and disputed…one day His name is going to resound throughout the universe. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive all power and wealth and strength and honor and glory and praise”4…and the whole universe will rock in acclamation of the name that’s above every name. At His name every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess He is Lord and He is King.5 And on that day when we’re surrounded by millions of angels and redeemed humanity and we’re worshipping the Lamb who sits on the throne, you are going to exclaim that everything you suffered here, everything you have gone through, is worth whatever the cost many times over, because He is worth it! And you are finally Home!
Facing betrayal, arrest, trials, torture, crucifixion and death, Jesus looked past the immediate suffering and humiliation to the glory that was to come. And He prays that you and I will do the same.
So in the New Year of 2021, stay focused on your relationship with Him, rest your faith firmly on His Word, and look forward to the future. The best is yet to come!
For His Glory,
1Romans 8:15
2Psalm 119:89
31 Thessalonians 4:13-18
4Revelation 5:12
5Philippians 2:9-11
One of the truly amazing results of the pandemic lockdown is that I have spoken to thousands more people by video than I ever would have in person. We estimate that thousands upon thousands have watched videos done for churches, conferences, conventions, and schools. Only Heaven knows the number of people who have made a commitment to Jesus as a result, but we praise God and give Him all the glory for His promise that His Word will not return void!
What a privilege God gave me to address military chaplains and their spouses at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove the week following Thanksgiving. With Christmas decorations in full view giving a wonderfully festive atmosphere, I shared that Jesus came 2000 years ago, went back to Heaven, and sent down His Holy Spirit to live in us. He is the One who strengthens, comforts, advises, empowers, and helps each of us to serve effectively. Many of those in the audience stood at the end of the message to recommit themselves to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit.
Due to Rachel-Ruth’s COVID diagnosis, she and I interacted on a split zoom screen from two different locations when she invited me to help her kick off her online Bible study for the New Year. She knows how Abraham has impacted me; and since her ladies were beginning to study his life, I had the joy of answering her questions. I was richly blessed as together we led those watching in an overview of an ordinary man who became extraordinary—one whom God called His friend.
Read John 17
Now, read John 17 again, this time asking the Holy Spirit to whisper to your heart as you answer the following questions about:
I. YOUR FOCUS John 17:1-5
Anne’s messages in this album were birthed after months of meditation on John 17. In this moving chapter we discover that Jesus is praying for us to stay focused on our relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to remain steadfast in our faith that is firmly planted in His Word, and to look forward to the future when we see Him in His glory.
Special guest teacher Rachel-Ruth Wright shares that the Lord wants to use us like Esther, for “such a time as this”—to access the King’s presence, using His authority in prayer until we get answers.
Anne’s daughter, Rachel-Ruth Wright, is leading an online women’s Bible study. You can join her live or review the recorded study on our website (see below). Here is a personal note from Rachel-Ruth:
If there was ever a time to be in God’s Word it is now!! I am so excited to have Bible Study starting back up! We are going to study Genesis this year. I love the Old Testament and I felt like the Lord led me to go back to the beginning . . . where it all started.
I’m looking forward to all that God wants to teach us. I think we all need it and are hungry to hear from Him. Since we have to be online, let’s pray God gives wings to this Bible study to reach people all over the country and the world!
In Jesus in Me, Anne draws on her rich biblical knowledge as well as her personal story—including her recent cancer journey—to help us understand that the Holy Spirit is not a magic genie, a flame of fire, or a vague feeling. He is a Person who prays for us, guides us in our relationships and decisions, comforts us in pain, and stays by our side at all times. In this simple, yet profound teaching, she explores seven key aspects of the Holy Spirit that will revolutionize how you understand and relate to this vital third Person of the Trinity.
Discover how to better love and rely on the Person of the Holy Spirit and embrace how much He loves you.
Video and Study Guide Sold Separately
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I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” — Psalm 91:2
The last two years of my life have been physically challenging and spiritually strengthening. I can declare with certainty based on God’s Word and my personal experience that the Lord is utterly trustworthy. Therefore I have made the choice to place my trust in Him, regardless of feelings, circumstances, or the opinions of others.
So if you, too, find yourself challenged by chaos, fear, anger, weariness, disease, loneliness and despair, I encourage you to renew your commitment to trust in the One who has loved you from before the beginning of time, and who will love you to the End. The world is not falling apart. It is falling into place at the feet of the One who works all things for your good and His glory.
The following is a prayer I wrote regarding unshakable trust that has been taken from my newest book, The Light of His Presence: Prayers to Draw You Near to the Heart of God. As our world convulses and our nation implodes, I have prayed this prayer for you…and for myself.
O God of Creation,
I bow before You, acknowledging Your greatness and Your glory. No one compares to You. No one is Your equal. I look at Your creation and marvel at the infinite power and wisdom that are Yours. Nothing is beyond Your reach. You are the One who “brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name. Because of [Your] great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” You are the One who “has pitched a tent for the sun. . . . It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”1 There is nowhere in all the universe where You are not.
Surely Your arm “is not too short to save, nor [Your] ear too dull to hear.”2 Yet I confess that as I look around at the mess our world is in—when terrorists strike; when floods, fires, tornadoes, and storms ravage our land; when national leaders don’t lead; when business leaders lie; when political leaders put their own interests before the people’s; when spiritual leaders contradict Your Word—I find myself asking, What’s going on? Where are You?
The Enemy whispers lies, tempting me to think You are . . .
distracted, disengaged, distant,
inattentive, inactive, impotent,
outmaneuvered, outmoded, outclassed,
unable, unaffected, and 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?
So I ask, Almighty God, that You would strengthen my resolve to place my trust in You. Give me the courage to declare that even if “the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord,”3 I will trust in You. If “the earth give[s] way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging,”4 I will trust in You. Though “nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall,”5 I will trust in 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,”6 I will trust in You. I trust You!
In the powerful, unshakable, unstoppable name of Jesus, Amen.
These are trusting times. Keep praying…
For His Glory,
Message adapted from Anne’s new book, The Light of His Presence: “A Prayer for Unshakable Trust”
1 Isaiah 40:25-26; Psalms 19:4; 139:7-8
2 Isaiah 59:1
3 Psalm 2:2
4 Psalm 46:2-3
5 Psalm 46:6
6 Psalm 37:14
Due to COVID, the hosts of each of my speaking engagements since March have gone virtual. While I have missed interacting with people face to face, I have been able to fulfill my commitments by video. Added to my speaking schedule were several invitations that came with only a few weeks notice. One of the most special opportunities was to address the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast by video. As I looked into the camera, in my mind’s eye, I could see the faces of old and new friends who had been before me two years ago.
Between 300,000 and 400,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on September 26 to pray. It was my privilege to begin Jonathan Cahn’s prayer call, The Return, by challenging those present to look up! Jesus is still on the throne. And I prayed with my brother Franklin at his last prayer stop in front of the Capitol, pleading with God to hear all of our prayers, forgive all of our sin, and heal our land.
Read Psalm 91
I. TRUSTING HIS PRESENCE 91:1-2
Like many of us, Anne has struggled with prayer. Over the years, she discovered that writing out her prayers draws her into deeper, more intimate conversations with God. The Light of His Presence offers forty of these tender, honest prayers for real-life situations as an invitation to deepen your own prayer life through worship, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession.
Discover how to better love and rely on the Person of the Holy Spirit and embrace how much He loves you.
If you would like to receive AnGeL Ministries’ full newsletter by email or postal delivery, click here to sign up for our free resources!
