Daily Devotional for Friday May 22, 2026

26 years ago the nation was transfixed by a little boy from Cuba, Elian Gonzales!

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY MAY 22, 2026

(Matthew 19:14)

***Personal Message For You From Bill Keller***

Some days when things are not going well, still be kind to all of those you interact with who don’t have Christ in their lives.

*As people are already starting to receive their tax refunds, many receiving much more than expected due to the Trump tax cuts, please be praying about sending a tithe to God’s work here at Liveprayer to me save souls off of that tax refund! Amen!

***Prayer***

Dear Lord, I know I have only one life, one life to live for You. This is my moment in human history. Please Lord, let me make the most if it. Use my life to do great things for You as I surrender it afresh to You each morning. When I take my last breath, let there be no regrets, no sadness, that I didn't use my life fully for Your Glory! In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!

***The Daily Liveprayer TV Nugget***

26 years ago, Liveprayer was less than one year old. The nation was transfixed by a little boy from Cuba, Elian Gonzales. It was a heartbreaking story of a little boy who came to the US from Cuba with his mother in a small homemade boat that took on water and caused his mother and several others to drown to death. Little Elian had family in Miami’s Little Havana who welcomed him into their home. However, his father in Cuba wanted the boy returned and after months of negotiations at the highest levels of both governments, Elian was sent back to Cuba to live with his father.

This all took place in the final year of President Clinton’s second term, Janet Reno was the US Attorney General, and her assistant handling this issue was former Obama Administration Attorney General Eric Holder. Sadly, Elian went back to Cuba and embraced the atheism of the Castro regime. He is now a grown young man and we can only pray that the seeds planted in his life nearly 3 decades ago will one day spring forth in a commitment by faith to Jesus Christ!!! Please take time to read today’s powerful Daily Devotional I wrote about this incident 26 years ago!

*Liveprayer TV Program airs “LIVE” every Monday thru Friday from 11pm EDT to Midnight! For details on viewing options for the Liveprayer TV program, “LIVE” or “On Demand,” go to: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm

***May Financial Update***

Praise the Lord! So far we have covered the first $10,000 of our May operations, leaving the final $45,000 by the end of the month! OUR GOD IS ABLE!!!

The Bible teaches us to “give according to our ability to give.” For some that may be $10 or $20. For others it may be $50 or $100. Still others it may be $200, $500, $1,000, $10,000 or more. God will bless your gift no matter the amount.

Also, don't forget a gift of $1,800 covers one day of ministry at Liveprayer. I received this email recently, “Pastor Bill, My wife and I have just sold our last rental and God told us to tithe $1,800.00 to pay for a day of your ministry. Not looking for accolades, just that you know when you receive the check. Rest assured that we will still be making our regular weekly tithes."

To give a gift to Liveprayer you can use your major credit card at: http://liveprayer.com/donate.cfm or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6662 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible!

Stocks! A great way to help Liveprayer is by donating stock. The transfer can be made in a way you get the full credit for your donation without having to pay any of the taxes you normally would on gains your stocks may have enjoyed. Contact me for information about this incredible way to help God's work here at Liveprayer: bkeller@liveprayer.com

*By the way I have been seeking the Lord since the start of this year for God to lead someone He has blessed richly to make a legacy gift of $15,000,000 to Liveprayer. That would insure that when God decides to call me home Liveprayer will continue to impact lives and lead lost souls to faith in Jesus for a minimum of 20 years. Please stand in agreement with me for the Lord to raise up that person!

*Live on after you are in Heaven!!! By remembering God's work here at Liveprayer in your will/estate planning, you can still help me share His Truth with the masses, be here for people in their time of greatest need, and help lead the lost to faith in Jesus even after God has called you home!!! God has led many of our friends in the Liveprayer family to remember His work here in their will. Please pray about this opportunity to continue and partner with me in the Lord's work at Liveprayer, even after you are enjoying your rewards and the eternal peace of Heaven! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com

***26 years ago, Liveprayer was less than one year old. The nation was transfixed by a little boy from Cuba, Elian Gonzales. It was a heartbreaking story of a little boy who came to the US from Cuba with his mother in a small homemade boat that took on water and caused his mother and several others to drown to death. Little Elian had family in Miami’s Little Havana who welcomed him into their home. However, his father in Cuba wanted the boy returned and after months of negotiations at the highest levels of both governments, Elian was sent back to Cuba to live with his father. This all took place in the final year of President Clinton’s second term, Janet Reno was the US Attorney General, and her assistant handling this issue was former Obama Administration Attorney General Eric Holder. Sadly, Elian went back to Cuba and embraced the atheism of the Castro regime. He is now a grown young man and we can only pray that the seeds planted in his life nearly 3 decades ago will one day spring forth in a commitment by faith to Jesus Christ!!!

(Liveprayer Daily Devotional April 27, 2000)

In spite of the wall-to-wall coverage over the last 5 months of the Elian Gonzales story, especially since the government's pre-Easter raid last weekend, I want to share with you what the real tragedy of this story is. It has been my immediate concern since the story broke and is an aspect that I promise you has not been explored or discussed on any of the vast media coverage of this event. The real tragedy of this whole episode has nothing to do with parental rights, or with politics, but is spiritual.

You see, to understand this tragedy, you must first know that Cuba is an atheistic society, and by Castro's design, void of God. Unlike in our great country where parents exercise their rights in raising their children, that is not the case in Cuba. A father DOES NOT have control over his children, the government does, which is why the whole father's rights aspect of this saga is so ridiculous.

At age 11, a Cuban child is sent off to school to learn how to be a good communist, and is taught that there is no such thing as God. I was impressed with the Pope's visit to Cuba and pray that his courage in going there will be rewarded with lives God was able to reach, but from Castro's standpoint, it was merely a symbolic gesture since he has removed God from the daily life of his people.

This is the world Elian Gonzales will return to with his father.

Lost in all of the hype and political rhetoric of the tragedy has been the understanding by those in the Cuban exile community of this fact. Many have not only found freedom and opportunity in this country, but they have found a relationship with God that they never would have had in Cuba. Their passions have centered on the fact that if this boy is returned to Castro, his opportunity to know God could be lost.

The irony to me has been the involvement of the United Methodist Church and the National Council of Churches in defending Castro. I grew up in the United Methodist Church, was saved in the United Methodist Church, and have preached in many of their churches over the years. The liberal arm of that denomination founded by Charles Wesley and greatly used by God to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has influenced many of its churches to question the inspiration of Scripture and preach a message far different than what that great church was built on.

I just pray that in its dealings with the Cuban side of this tragic situation, someone took the opportunity to share Christ with Elian's father and wife. The one thing we do know, is that those Miami relatives and faithful men and women of God who came to that house each day, made sure Elian knew there was a creator of the universe named God.

I have never used this forum to express any of my political views. That is not the purpose of this Devotional, and I have tried to temper my comments and keep them on point today. I apologize if my position on this matter may be in contrast to yours. As much as I take objection to many of the things that have gone on in our government over the last 7 years, my Bible says that I am to pray for those in authority over me. God placed them there, so I have to trust His wisdom and I do faithfully pray for those in power daily.

The key point today is our scripture and Jesus telling the adults not to hinder the children from coming to Him. I pray today that those words will echo in the hearts of everyone who will be involved in the eventual outcome over the next weeks and months. I am still praying, still believing that little Elian will not be sent back to be taught by Castro that there is no God.

I pray he is able to stay here and be in an environment where one day those precious seed that have been planted in his life the last 5 months will spring forth Instead of Elian Gonzales being lost for eternity, his soul will know God's gift of everlasting life as he comes to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and savior. Amen.

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller