Since 1952, the United States has acknowledged and celebrated an annual National Day of Prayer. This year that day is May 4.
This year’s theme verse, James 5:16b—Pray fervently in righteousness and avail much—is the basis of conversations about family, business, military, and government.
I am thrilled to be part of the conversations with Dr. Angela Chester on Daily Spark TV.
Watch online Thursday, May 4, and let me know what you think!
May 4 is National Day of Prayer for 2023. This year’s focus verse is James 5:16b:
Pray fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much
Mark your calendar to tune in. More details to come.
American poet and actress Beah Richards passed away in 2000 at the age of 80. One of her contributions to the world is the following poem:
Today is ours. Let’s live it.
And love is strong. Let’s give it.
A song can help. Let’s sing it.
And peace is dear. Let’s bring it.
The past is gone. Don’t rue it.
Our work is here. Let’s do it.
Our world is wrong. Let’s right it.
The battle is hard. Let’s fight it.
The road is rough. Let’s clear it.
The future is vast. Don’t fear it.
Is faith asleep? Let’s wake it.
Today is ours. Let’s take it.
I am thrilled with the revised cover my publisher, Trafford Publishing, has designed for my 2014 book, Dancing on the Whisper of God.
The reason for the revision was to add two items to the front cover. One is “The Gold Seal of Literary Excellence” put there by Trafford, and the other is an excerpt from a review by The US Review of Books. The latter reads: ” … this novel brings to light the positive transformational power of prayer. Gilbertson gracefully succeeds in her effort by presenting an engaging narrative, well-written dialogue, and emotionally revealing characters, all showcased against the backdrop of a classic art form …”
I was so pleased to read the full review, and even more that this portion of it is now on the front cover of the book!
At the close of the previous blog entry, I made the controversial statement that running your race will require more than will-power; it will require faith in supernatural assistance. This is a sticking place for many of us. Either we like to think we are independent and capable of standing on our own two feet, no matter what life throws at us – and therefore we don’t need religion, or we tell ourselves that we accept religion up to a point but the supernatural piece is more than we can swallow. People who have been “educated” to rely entirely on logic and scientific explanations are especially resistant to the idea of supernatural assistance.
But somewhere in the running of our individual races, most of us eventually realize that the supernatural piece is not negotiable, and putting our faith in it is really the only option if we are to have peace in our hearts, if we are to see our place and realize that we are not God.
Hebrews 12:2 continues the thought of 12:1, advising that the way we are to accomplish the running of our race is to look to Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith.” Even faith, then, which we might have assumed was our responsibility, our side of the relationship, is not left to us alone but comes to us through supernatural assistance: begun in us and completed in us by Divine Spirit.
Dancing on the Whisper of God, published in 2014, is a novel about the power of prayer.