Daily Devotional for Wednesday February 26, 2014

Having That Difficult Conversation

(John 16:29-33)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, what exactly is required to surrender 100% to Christ and live by faith?

ANSWER: Die to self daily. That is done by waking up praying, getting in the Word first thing, and staying "plugged in" to God throughout the day. During the day, make decisions pleasing and acceptable to God. Don't forget for one minute you are HIS ambassador. Find ways to serve Him. Trust Him with the problems you encounter throughout the day. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, you learn to die to self daily and live for Him instinctively.

I have always been a firm believer of talking straight, plain, and not holding back. The majority of conflict I see in marriages and other relationships is caused by a lack of communication. For some reason, many people are reluctant to have the "difficult conversation." The problem is, the longer you put off having that conversation, the more difficult it becomes.

I have watched lives ruined simply because people would not communicate with each other. Listen, this is not a test run. God has given us this precious thing called life. We get one shot. It is too short, too precious to be wasted by not sharing the things that bother us...especially with those we love the most.

It is incredible how people tend to get into a pattern in their life. One day they wake up, and they realize things aren't right. They just aren't the way they should be. But rather than sit down with your spouse, your children, or your parents, you simply suppress how you feel and stay quiet. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. Months then turn into years. The next thing you know, you have grown "apart" from the ones you were closest to.

Many people live in the same house with other people, but are like strangers. We communicate on a daily basis as little as possible, and never...NEVER...about unpleasant things. Husbands and wives get involved in things like pornography, gambling, drinking and start to build a secret world that they refuse to let their spouse be part of. They become distant. Communication becomes only about those things necessary to get through the day. Young adults get involved in activities they shouldn't be involved in and shut out their parents from their life. Communication is minimal.

My friend maybe it is time to sit down with your spouse...your parents whoever you may be having conflict with and get things out in the open. Tell them how you feel. I am a firm believer that many things can be worked out with honest and open communication. It does not make sense to go around miserable, holding inside the way you feel.

Sit down and talk to those you love and begin to work out whatever problems there may be in your relationship. Blending two or more lives together is always difficult because we are each so uniquely created. Without communicating, it is impossible. Things will not change by magic; they won't all of the sudden be OK. As a matter of fact, they will only get worse until you sit down with that person you love, and talk through whatever the problems may be.

I love you, and care about you so much. I will be praying for you today as you pray over this Devotional. We don't talk more because we are afraid of what the outcome may be. We live in pain, we live knowing things aren't the way they should be because of the unknown consequences if we sit down and openly talk about our feelings.

Listen, pray, and ask God to go before you. Let your faith be real as you trust God with the outcome. Make plans to sit down and have that "difficult conversation" with the person in your life you need to resolve some issues with. There is no day like today. God will strengthen you and be there with you. Count on my prayers.

***We have finally covered the last amount of our January shortfall!!! With only 3 days left in February, we still have to cover the entire $40,000 for our February operations by the end of the week. $10,000 of that is seriously past due! I am praying for 2 of our friends to help me with a special one-time gift of $5,000 to take care of that critical overdue amount, and with others giving as they are able to, $5, $10, $20, $100, $1,000, whatever you are able and led to give, we will insure that we end the month on Friday with all of our operations current!! I NEED YOUR HELP, GOD IS ABLE!!! --->LIVEPRAYER TV PROGRAM! The other critical need is for the Liveprayer TV program that is currently airing "live" on a major station from 11pm-1am every Monday thru Friday in the Chicagoland market, with 10 million potential viewers! We are in in a prime time slot in the number 3 TV market on a major station carried by all of the Chiocagoland cable outlets and DirecTV and DISH. Our airtime cost is $25,160 per 4 weeks or $1,258 per night (2 hours live!). Our contract called for us to pre-pay the first 2 months, but they agreed to take the first 4 week payment that one of our dear friends covered, as long as we get the balance of February, $18,870 to them by Monday Feb 24th, and the next 4 weeks of $25,160 by Monday March 3rd, which is $44,000.

--->I asked for 44 people to make a special one-time gift of $1,000 to cover this amount. So far, 10 have sent that special gift meaning we still need 34 more. I am asking for 34 of our friends by the end of the month to make a special one-time gift to Liveprayer of $1,000 to insure this need is met. By the end of our 3rd month on the air, local supporters from that station will be able to cover that monthly air-time expense. SO FAR WE HAVE HAD 6 RESPOND, AND I AM PRAYING FOR THE OTHER 38 GOD IS SPEAKING TO ABOUT THIS SPECIAL NEED!!!

To send a gift to Liveprayer on your major credit card at our website www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" button, or you can give from your PayPal account by using my email address, bkeller@liveprayer.com , or you can mail it to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.

Thank you for taking your stand with me as we bring HIS Truth to this lost world and the hope and love of Christ to the lost and hurting!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller