You’re reading TWO WEEKS WITH GOD, by Eric Elder, a 14-day devotional based on the songs from Eric Elder’s piano CD, Clear My Mind. Also available in paperback and eBook formats in our bookstore for a donation of any size!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these two weeks with God. I’m sure He’s enjoyed these two weeks with you.

Although today is the last day of this devotional, it’s just the beginning of your time with God. In fact, this whole life is just the beginning of your time with God. The last line of Amazing Grace says it well: “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun” (John Newton, 1725-1807).

These past two weeks were to whet your appetite for more of what God has in store for you. He has so much He wants to do in and through your life that you won’t want to miss a day with Him from now on. As Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches… apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Stay close to the vine every day. Draw your life from His life, your strength from His strength. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit from head to toe until you overflow. Don’t let a day go by without coming to Him – for His wisdom, for His comfort, for His strength and for His love.

The best way I’ve found to stay close to God is to stay in the Bible. Go ahead and read the whole thing from cover to cover – then read it again and again and again. There’s not a better Book in the world you could spend your time reading. And God promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him, even though He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27, Proverbs 8:17).

Let me close our time in prayer.

Lord, I pray that You would bless those who have spent these two weeks with You. I pray that You would draw them to want to spend time with You each day from now on. I pray that You would continue to speak to them and show them the plans You have for their lives. And finally, Lord, I pray that You would fill them with Your peace, Your love, and Your unending joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There’s More!

If you like this music and devotional, I’d also like to invite you to join me at The Ranch  at www.theranch.org. It’s a spiritual retreat center on the Internet where you can unwind and spend some more time with God.  Join me anytime you need a boost in your faith, and invite your friends, too!

You’re reading TWO WEEKS WITH GOD, by Eric Elder, a 14-day devotional based on the songs from Eric Elder’s piano CD, Clear My Mind. Also available in paperback and eBook formats in our bookstore for a donation of any size!

Not long ago, our family went through a time of transition. While we knew we were following Christ, we were definitely walking by faith and not by sight. All we could see was Christ leading us forward.

Then one morning, I saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. It was actually the sun shining through the window as I read my Bible. As the sun lit up the room, I felt God was telling me that a new day was coming; a day when we would clearly see just where He had brought us.

I began to write a song, “I’ve Seen the Sun! I’ve Seen the Sun!” And as I sang, I realized why I was so excited. It wasn’t just the fact that the light had broken through. It was the fact that I could now begin to see with my eyes what I had believed in my heart. My sight had finally caught up to my faith.

As I praised God with this song, I raised my voice higher and higher and out came a new refrain: “I’VE SEEN THE SON! I KNOW HIS NAME! HE DIED FOR ME! AND THEN HE ROSE AGAIN! I’VE SEEN THE SON!”

There will be a day when we will see Jesus face to face! (1 Corinthians 13:12, 1 John 3:2). On that day we’ll be able to see with our eyes what we have believed in our hearts for so long. We’ll be able to say, “He is real. He is alive. He really does care about us. He really did come back for us so we could be with Him forever.”

John says that we can know that we have eternal life if we believe in Christ: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Faith is no obscure adventure. It is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).

One day our faith and our sight will be the very same thing. What an awesome day that will be! Until then, hold onto your faith – it’s worth far more than gold (1 Peter 1:7).

Let Me Pray for You

Lord, I pray for those who need to renew their faith in You today. I pray You would implant a seed of faith deep in their heart so they will never waver again. I pray they would know that You are real, You are alive, and that You really will come back again for them so they can be with You forever! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take Time in His Word

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

• Read 2 Corinthians 4:18. On what should we fix our eyes?
• Read 1 Peter 1:7-9. What is the goal of our faith?
• Read 1 John 3:2. Although we don’t know everything about the future, what do we know?

Take Time in Prayer

Listen to the song I’ve Seen The Sun. Ask God to renew your faith. Let Him know you believe that one day you’ll see the Son, too!

After You Pray

Just as the sun in the sky is constant and unchanging from day to day, so is the Son of God. He’s always there, whether you see Him or not, whether it’s cold or hot. It doesn’t matter how many clouds may darken the sky. That doesn’t change the fact that the sun is still there. If the sun weren’t there, you can be sure we’d be flung out of orbit and die instantly. In the same way, Jesus is always there, always strong, always steady, always holding us tight – whether we see Him or not. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Lord, I look forward to the day when I will see You face to face!

You’re reading TWO WEEKS WITH GOD, by Eric Elder, a 14-day devotional based on the songs from Eric Elder’s piano CD, Clear My Mind. Also available in paperback and eBook formats in our bookstore for a donation of any size!

I have sometimes wondered if God has a unique purpose for my life, a special role for me to play in His world. Last Christmas I saw the answer in the pages of the Bible as I read about Mary when she was chosen to give birth to Jesus.

In God’s great plan for the world, He needed a woman to carry His son in her womb. He chose Mary. Her cousin Elizabeth heard the news and exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear” (Luke 1:42)! She was blessed! She had a unique role to fill in God’s plan, that of giving birth to the long-awaited Savior.

I began to think about people in the Bible who were called by God for other purposes. Even though God is all-powerful, He has chosen to work through us as His fellow-workers (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).

God needed Moses to lead the slaves out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10). He needed Paul to share Christ with the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). He needed Esther to marry a king to save the Jews (Esther 4:14). He needed Elijah to speak prophetic words to influence the course of history. Yet listen to what the Bible says about Elijah: “Elijah was a man just like us” (James 5:17).

All the people in the Bible were men and women just like us. And God has created each of us for a unique purpose as well. We really are special! Hallelujah! We’re not cookie-cutter men and women made out of gingerbread. Our fingerprints are unique, our voices are unique, our eyes are unique. And God’s plans for us are unique.

Paul reminds us that we all have a role to play, just like a body needs various parts to function well. Some of us are eyes, some are ears, and some are hands or feet. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27).

I believe God would say to each one of us, “Blessed are you!” “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). Let God’s unique plans for you sink deep into your soul.

Let Me Pray for You

Lord, I pray for those who wonder if they have a special role to play in Your plan. I pray You would let them know that You do, and that You would show them what that role is. I pray You would also fully equip them to carry out the plans You have for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take Time in His Word

“In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear’” (Luke 1:42)!

• Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Do the parts of the body have unique roles to play?
• Read Romans 12:6-8. What are we to do with the gifts God has given us?
• Read Esther 4:13-14. Could God have put you into your present position for a unique purpose?

Take Time in Prayer

Listen to the song Blessed Are You. Ask God to show you how special you are to Him, and to show you your unique role in His plan.

After You Pray

I also believe that God will give us a sense of fulfillment in our unique calling in a way that we won’t envy the calling of others. Mary was obviously overjoyed to carry the Son of God in her womb, but I don’t think most women would want to trade places with her. There were special demands on her life because of her calling: everything from riding a donkey in her ninth month of pregnancy to watching her son’s execution on a cross. God not only called her for that role, but He equipped her uniquely for that role – just like God is calling you and equipping you for yours.

Lord, I believe that You have a unique purpose for my life!

You’re reading TWO WEEKS WITH GOD, by Eric Elder, a 14-day devotional based on the songs from Eric Elder’s piano CD, Clear My Mind. Also available in paperback and eBook formats in our bookstore for a donation of any size!

One day I read a verse in the Bible that said, “May He give you the desire of your heart…” (Psalm 20:4). Immediately, I knew what my desire was: to marry Lana.

As odd as it seems to me now, this wasn’t always my desire. I had dated Lana in college, and we loved each other enough, but I wasn’t ready to consider marriage. We moved to different cities and eventually stopped dating.

We still talked from time to time and one day she told me she wasn’t really happy in her job. I said I’d pray for her that week. As I prayed, I also sensed that it wasn’t her job so much as the fact that God really wanted her to have a husband. So I began to pray that God would send her a husband.

You know the rest! Over the next three months, God put in my heart a love for her like I’ve never known for anyone else, before or since. I didn’t even tell her what was happening to me! At the end of three months of praying, the desire in my heart was so strong that I called her to tell her about it. It turns out that when I called, she had just decided to quit her job, but wasn’t sure what to do next. I told her I had an idea!

It was then that I read the verse from Psalm 20. I pleaded with God that He would have her say “Yes!” for she was the desire of my heart. Looking back, I realized that God not only gave me the desire of my heart, but He was the One who put that desire in my heart in the first place.

I’ve heard this described like a dad who buys his son a blue bicycle for Christmas then hides it in the garage. The dad then spends the next few months showing his son blue bicycles in the stores. By the time the son asks for a blue bicycle for Christmas, the dad is happy to oblige!

I want to encourage you to ask God to fill your heart with His desires so that they may become your desires as well. The Bible says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Let Me Pray for You

Lord, I pray for those who have been calling out to You for the desires of their hearts. I pray You would put Your desires in their hearts so that their thoughts and prayers will line up with Yours. God, I ask, too, that You would strengthen those who have been waiting for a long time for You to answer their prayers. Let them know that Your promises are true and that You will indeed give them the desires of their hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take Time in His Word

“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4).

• Read Psalm 37:1-9. What does God want us to do while we wait for the desires of our heart?
• Read Luke 22:42-43. Who came to strengthen Jesus when He submitted His will to God’s?
• Read Isaiah 40:29-31. What will God do for those who hope in Him?

Take Time in Prayer

Listen to the song My Lana. Ask Him to fill your heart with His desires.

After You Pray

If God doesn’t give you what you ask for, I believe He has something better in mind. Back in college, Lana sensed that one day we would get married. When we broke up, she was surprised, but felt that if I wasn’t the one, God must have someone better in mind for her. During our time apart, I committed my life to Christ. When we got back together, guess what? She got someone better than the Eric she knew! If God would give up His Son for you, you can be sure He wouldn’t withhold anything from you unless He had something better in mind. Continue to trust Him. This is one Father who really does know best.

Lord, I pray You would fill my heart with Your desires.

You’re reading TWO WEEKS WITH GOD, by Eric Elder, a 14-day devotional based on the songs from Eric Elder’s piano CD, Clear My Mind. Also available in paperback and eBook formats in our bookstore for a donation of any size!

I wrote this song as a lullaby for our children, but it has become a prayer of blessing for our whole family.

I established our nightly prayer routine before I was married. I had heard someone say that he made a commitment to pray with his wife every night before they went to sleep. That way, each of them had received a prayer of blessing every day. I liked the idea so much I began that same week to pray daily with my roommate.

When I got married, I continued those nightly prayers with my wife. Now that we have children, we do the same for each of them at bedtime, placing our hands on their heads and asking God to bless their lives. I believe that our prayers, our verbal blessing, and our physical touch can make a difference.

If you have someone in your life for which you’d like to pray each day, I urge you to consider starting that habit today. Our prayer times with each other can be quiet moments of intimacy in otherwise hectic days.

Some of you may not be in a place where you can pray for someone each day in person. But I can assure you that there is someone who is praying for you. The Bible says that Jesus “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

By the way, if you have children and want to try singing this song as a prayer over them, here are the words. It simply goes, “Lord, I pray for my children. Lord, I pray for my children. Lord, I pray for my children. Lord, I pray for my children.” The next time through, replace the word ‘children’ with the name of each person in your family. By praying for our children, we can pass onto them the blessings of God, just as Isaac passed them onto his son Jacob, who passed them onto his son Joseph (Genesis 27:25, 48:15).

As you listen to this song, you may also hear a familiar melody in the background. It’s a simple reminder of God’s great love for us.

Let Me Pray for You

Lord, I thank You for always interceding on our behalf. I pray for those who want to pass on the blessings they’ve received from You to their families. I ask that You would give them the insight and wisdom to know how to do this in a way that’s meaningful to them and honoring to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take Time in His Word

“And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:16).

• Read Mark 10:13-16. How did Jesus bless the children who were brought to Him?
• Read Genesis 48:9-20. How did Israel bless his grandchildren?
• Read Proverbs 22:6. How can our influence on our children affect them when they are older?

Take Time in Prayer

Listen to the song Lord, I Pray. Pray, by name, for those you love. Also remember to thank God that Christ is praying for you.

After You Pray

In many of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, he prays for the people to whom he wrote and ministered. And at the end of his letters, he would often ask for those people to pray for him as well. If God has blessed you through this ministry, could I ask you to pray for us as well? Here are a few of the prayers Paul asked people to pray on his behalf: “Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should” (Colossians 4:3-4). We know your prayers are heard and answered and we appreciate the time you spend in prayer for us.

Lord, I pray for those I love.