"Do you always get the right number?"

I answered the phone, "Listen to Life, this is Joey. How may I help you?"

The voice said, "Yea, I’m calling about a computer for my daughter."

"We don’t sell computers, sir," I said.

"This is Steve’s Computers, right" the voice said.

And I said, "No sir, I’m sorry, it isn’t."

"Well, this is the number that was in the newspaper ad," the voice said.

So I said, "Well, maybe you should call the newspaper advertising department and ask them about Steve’s number."

That call was a couple of months ago and I’m having this same conversation about once a week still, different voices, but the same conversation. I don’t know Steve, but I’m thinking he owes me a computer for all the business I’m sending to him. Not really, but this situation started me thinking about how challenging it can be to connect with people sometimes.

I’m sure glad you can’t dial a wrong number with God, aren’t you? You simply start praying and you’re connected!

Do you need proof that prayer works?

If you need proof that prayer works, check out a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. They did a test of almost 1,000 heart patients at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City to see if prayer made a difference in their physical recovery. A five-person prayer team prayed daily for half the group only. Both groups received the same, normal medical care.

The group that was prayed for did about 10% better, i.e., they didn’t experience as many complications in their recovery as the other group. I don’t know about you, but if I’m the heart patient, I want every advantage I can get on my side if I’m having heart surgery.

But then I want every advantage I can get on my side every day. What about you? Let’s pray for each other today, OK? And as we do, let’s listen today for what God has to say as we make a life, not just a living.

Who do you call when you're scared?

We had just tucked our younger daughter in for a good night’s sleep when a thunderstorm blew up. The wind whistled. The lightning flashed. And the thunder rattled the windows. It was a pretty good-sized storm.

I heard all of this sound-and-light show from downstairs in my recliner. Between the “booms” I heard this muffled voice calling, “Daddy! Daddy!” So I went upstairs and to our younger daughter’s bedroom where I found her with the covers pulled up over her head.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m scared of the thunder,” she said. “Will you lay down with me?”

“Sure,” I said as I got under the covers. “But why does it help with me under the covers?”

“Because the thunder can’t hurt me when you’re here. You’re my Daddy.”

Who do you call when you’re scared by life? Call your heavenly Daddy, God, and invite God to lie down with you. Life can’t hurt you when God’s with you.