The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark 11:9, 24-25, “And those who went before, and those who followed after, were crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord….

24 “Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.

25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.’”

When the multitude of the Jews cried, “Hosanna!” they were recognizing Jesus as their promised Messiah. The word “Hosanna” means “LORD, save us!” It’s a recognition and a cry we would do well to implement today. Thousands of people in our world are facing the cruel hand of death simply because they are Christians. And millions more are imprisoned by sin within themselves. Jesus is the Great Deliverer. He is the only one who can free us from bondages that imprison us.

Freedom from sin, however, comes at a price. First, we must pray in faith for deliverance. We must pray believing that we have already received that for which we’ve asked. That’s not easy. When we hurt physically, it’s not easy to believe that the hurt has gone away because we still feel it. When I was a child, I can remember having a bout with hick-ups. My grandfather said, “Look at me. You don’t have them! They’re gone!” Yet, while I protested that I still had them, they vanished. I’ll never forget how surprised I was. If my Dado could do that, what could the LORD not do?

So, belief, faith, trust (all the same word in Greek) must accompany our prayers. And for our prayers, to be effective, we must forgive everyone of every wrong they’ve said or done against us. Is that difficult? You bet it is! We always want to see them “paid back” for what they’ve done. But the Bible teaches that we are to “leave room for the wrath of God” (Rom. 12:19). Those “coals of fire” that we want to heap on the heads of our adversaries –they are not for us to use; they are God’s coals. “’Vengeance is Mine. I will repay,’ says the LORD.” That’s His business; ours is to forgive.

Search your heart. Ask yourself, “Are their grudges I am holding against anyone?” If there are, your prayers are being hindered. Moreover, your faith and trust in what the LORD can do –His saving; His deliverance —is being hindered. It’s not because He lacks power, it’s because your lack of forgiveness of those who have wronged you.

Clear this old debris out of your life! It’s clogging the channels of His blessing to you.

Lovingly and prayerfully yours,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”