Marilyn said she noticed that she set the tone for her family on Sunday mornings. “When I feel rushed and out-of-sorts because we’re going to be late for church, our whole family is grumpy. But when I’m calm and happy, the whole family seems to absorb my contentment.”

Then Joshua looked up. If he had studied only the problem, he would have gone home discouraged. In Joshua’s upward look, he caught a vision of the Commander of God’s armies with His sword drawn prepared to fight. We now know He was seeing Christ, but perhaps not realizing that supernatural help was before him, Joshua asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

A mother concerned about her son and his wife emailed this request: “God has led me to do a Jericho’ prayer...Would you join with me in “marching around the walls’ this week. I am fighting this battle with praise!”

The Holy Spirit stays with us continually, and He invites us to live with an awareness of His presence. Margaret Therkelsen in her book Realizing the Presence of the Holy Spirit, told that years ago after reading in Revelation 7 of the praise in heaven, she entered into a time of deep worship. She was filled with praise and humbled herself as she saw Jesus as the victorious, risen, and triumphant Lord of lords.

Long before baby Jesus was born, God prophesied that a King would be born in Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus had no idea he was setting God's plans in motion when he issued a decree that all the world should be taxed.

When our son Gregg was a teen, he had the good fortune of standing with a row of about ten others with whom President Reagan shook hands.

When John and two of his disciples saw Jesus walking by, John said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” How often we need someone else to help us to begin to be attentive to the Lord.