Foundation of Praise  •  P.O. Box 2518  •  Escondido, CA 92033-3629  •  (760) 741-2755
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     Jairus had just been told that his daughter was dead, but Jesus said to him: Don't be afraid. Just trust me. (Mark 5:36 TLB) What a challenging time it was for a parent to learn how to trust Jesus!
A list of the difficulties that we have could fill pages. When we are experiencing some of these problems we usually want someone’s help. A person can comfort and encourage us, but in many situations we need more help than any person can give. We might resist the help somebody offers because we think they don’t understand how much we are suffering. Or, we might wonder why someone, anyone, doesn’t do something to help us! If we concentrate on thinking about our problem our thoughts seem to go around and around. God wants us to eventually realize that we need the help that only He can give us. Jesus came to this world to supply us with the exact help we need. He offers to keep changing, our hearts!
     Jesus said, I will come and live in you. He comes to change the very center of our being – our hearts. His change in us begins when we are “born again,” but He wants to keep on changing us!
If we look in a mirror we see our reflection, but God sees His Son in us!  He sees the person He wants us to become so He continues to give us opportunities to become that person. However we frequently do not understand what God is doing.


 by Merlin Carothers

     We are often like children - we don’t see why we need to keep going back to school every day. As children, year after year we had to keep going over hard lessons, and our teachers always wanted to test us to see if we were learning. God wants us to learn so He also keeps testing us even though we may see no reason for the problems we face. God does have His reasons. He wants to help us become more like His Son. Remember that Jesus lived here and He understands. He knows that Satan tries to make us fail, but Jesus wants us to become the person God plans for us to be. Yes, it is sometimes tough, but Jesus is here to help us. He said, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. (Mt. 28:20 TLB)
     We can learn to believe that God will use everything for our good. Learning that helps us to live in this demanding world and to be better prepared for eternity. Jesus taught us what He had learned: Do not be troubled about anything, don’t worry, and don’t be anxious. Have you lived long enough to know that such commands are often not easy to obey? But in life’s most difficult circumstances Jesus’ words to us are still: Don’t be afraid. Just trust me. Yes, even He suffered during His time on earth but He was resurrected! And we will be resurrected too!

     Because I am writing this article for the Praise News several months ahead, I have no idea what will be the outcome of the elections.  But I do know what’s on my heart, and that is to urge all Christians to join together in daily prayer for those who have been elected. We should pray not only for them, but also for the President’s cabinet and the Supreme Court. It goes without saying that we should be praying for our military all over the world, as well as the military commanders who are making the decisions. Whether or not we agree with the political ideologies of those in authority over us, we are commanded by God to pray for them.
     Christians in political life are really on the “firing line” for us. They endure great stress, rejection and ridicule from those who do not hold Christian values. They truly need our prayers.
     If the candidates of our choice are elected, we may be tempted to relax and be lazy in our prayers for them. If the candidates we didn’t want to win are elected, the temptation is to feel:  “What’s the use? My prayers won’t make any difference anyhow.” Satan who knows - and fears - the power of our prayers encourages both attitudes! Either way, he desires that we be lazy in our prayer life. I believe spiritual failure on our part is more often due to laziness than to unbelief.
     Where can we go to get the real TRUTH about the importance of our prayers? To God’s Word. Not only does He command us in I Timothy 2:1,2 to pray for those in authority, He encourages us by saying:


by Mary Carothers

     His eyes are upon the righteous.
     His ears are open to their prayer (Ps. 34:15).
     He even goes so far as to repeat that same promise in I Peter 3:12. What power there is in our earnest prayers!
     May I share with you how I personally like to pray? Not that my way is better than any other, but sometimes it helps to get general ideas. If I approve of the particular individual, if I feel they honor God in their public life, I pray for their good health, a sharp keen mind, spiritual strength and a long life. I ask the Lord to lead and direct them and to bless their personal life. If I don’t approve of a person, I ask God to direct their mind and heart even as He directs the path of a stream (Prov. 21:1). I am fully convinced that the Lord can use even the ungodly to accomplish His purposes.
     Sometimes I pray: Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered (Num. 10:35 and Ps. 68:1), and ask Him to Confuse the wicked and confound their speech (Ps. 55:9). I ask Him to honor those who honor Him and to exalt the righteous in our land (Ps. 75:7).
     Beloved, let us not grow weary in well doing (and that includes consistent, fervent prayer for those in authority) for in due season we shall reap the blessing of God.

JUST A REMINDER
Year-end contributions to the Foundation of Praise, per the IRS, must be mailed and postmarked by December 31,
2008 to receive credit as a 2008 tax-deductible gift.

Remember to vote
November 4th!
The Foundation of Praise has received a gift in loving memory of:
Freida Oehlert
By her son, Dan Oehlert
of Florissant, MO		 Rainer Besecke
By Belle Betts
of Deming, NM		 Jennett Johnson
By Vera Keith
of Thermopolis, WY
Our loss is Heaven’s gain. Our prayers are with those who loved them.

Senior Readers Write
Congratulations to Edith of dana Point, California. Edith was born on July 17, 1911
and is our most senior reader of Praise News. She will receive an autographed copy of
Praise Classics. We received so many letters from our wonderful and loyal senior readers.

I am 92 and read your books over and over. They are such a blessing. Esther, IN

I'm 88 years old and still have opportunities to tell the Good News. Jeanette, NV

I am 90 years young and your books are a great blessing and we pass them out where we shop. Margaret, AR

I am 93 and I read and re-read my current and past copies of Praise News. It starts my day with a feeling of thanksgiving. les, AZ

I am 79 and enjoy your books very much and especially the Praise News every month.
Nita, CA

I'm 93 and I enjoy yours and Mary's messages. I pass them on to my daughter and to the Rest Home after I read them. Beatrice,WI

I am another 78 year old who thoroughly enjoys
Praise News. Rosemary, TX

I am 85 and nothing pleases me more than sharing your books! Mary, NY

I am 87 and your Praise writings inspire me and
give me new life and hope in Christ. Polly, VA

I am 86 and have given out over 800 Prison to
Praise over the years. Virginia,WI

I am 75 and Praise News is such an encouragement to me. I read it immediately when I receive it. Shirley, IL

Thank you for Praise News. We really enjoy it.
Frank is 82 and still teaches a Sunday School class and I am 79. Joan, TN

I am 89 and first read Prison to Praise in 1976. My life was revolutionized by your teachings. I keep your books on hand to give out. Dan, TN

Thank you so much for Praise News. We both read and enjoy it. I was so glad you asked for our ages, this has been fun. Cecil is 90 and I am 87. Mary Elizabeth, MI

And many more seniors wrote:
Eunice 96, Rose Elizabeth 94, Ruth 91,
Cecil, David 90, Marlow, Lenora, Ila 88,
Inga 86, Ole, Phil 87, Harold 86, Nina 85,
Millie 84, Mary, DeLois 81,Willie 71.
God bless you all!

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Read excerpts from Merlin Carothers best selling books!
 Prison to Praise    •   Power in Praise    •    From Fear to Faith    •    You Can Be Happy Now    •    Secret Sins

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P.O. Box 2518  •  Escondido, CA  •  760.741.2755

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