Issue 995
Dr. Ritch Boerckel
Senior Pastor
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First Prayer Car Winterization Day Discovering Church Membership Missions Services Congregational Meeting Guy Penrod Concert Goose Ranch Cookout
Mark Your Global Outreach Conference Calendar Women’s Ministries Youth Events in October GriefShare
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October Calendar
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Children’s Ministry
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Raising a Modern-Day Knight Father/Daughter Purity Ball Open Hearts Open Homes
10 ABCs Small Groups 11 Prophecy Conference 12 GO-Conference
The Secret to Success God has set success in our hearts so that we naturally desire it. I have never had a young couple preparing for their wedding say, “We hope our marriage breaks apart in a few years.” I have never met an entrepreneur who said, “I am planning to keep this software business afloat for a year or so and then watch it miserably die.” I have never met a new parent who prayed over their little baby, “Lord, grant this baby failure after failure all through their lives.” I have never met a church-planting pastor who commented, “I am praying for this new church to close.” No one strives for failure in areas that matter to him or her. Some Christians ask, “Is it right for a Christian to strongly desire success?” Yes, it is a good and godly thing to strive for success, provided that we define success rightly, that we use the proper means, and that we are motivated by the glory of God. Godly people rightly pray to the Lord for success as they recognize that true success comes from the Lord. In
Scripture we find Abraham’s servant praying for success in his quest to help Isaac find a godly wife, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.” (Gen. 24:12) We also find Nehemiah praying for success as he petitions the Persian king for permission for the people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild walls around the city, “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (Neh. 1:11) The psalmist notably petitions God for success in Psalm 118:25, “Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!” Tragically, many are looking to find the secret to success in life in all the wrong places. They read the bestselling books and magazines. They listen to Oprah or Dr. Phil or The View. They attend seminars and conferences. They seek counsel Continued on page 2