Max Lucado Daily: NOT YET ANSWERED PRAYER - October 1, 2026
The Gospel of John tells the story about a man from Capernaum who approached Jesus in Cana. “Come heal my son?” the man asked. Jesus said the boy would be healed, and the man set out for Capernaum.
Do you find yourself somewhere between Cana and Capernaum? Like the official, you begged Jesus for help. And like the official you didn’t receive the answer in the way you wanted. This is the issue of the not yet answered prayer, or the not answered in the way I asked prayer.
How should we react? I’m sorry that the job did not materialize or the cancer chose to metastasize. Life has its share of dark, dank moments. Read the Bible from the table of contents in the front to the maps in the back, and you will not find any promise of a pain-free life on this side of heaven. But you will find this assurance, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” You are never alone.
You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence & Power
Acts 3
One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.
6–8 Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.
8–10 The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.
11 The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon’s Porch to see it for themselves.
Turn to Face God
12–16 When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people:
“Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we’re the witnesses. Faith in Jesus’ name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.
17–18 “And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans.
19–23 “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. Moses, for instance, said, ‘Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.’
24–26 “All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God’s covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, October 01, 2026
By James Banks
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
Proverbs 15:1-6
God Doesn’t Miss a Thing
1 15 A gentle response defuses anger,
but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.
2 Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.
3 God doesn’t miss a thing—
he’s alert to good and evil alike.
4 Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim.
5 Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;
welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.
6 The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
a misspent life is soon bankrupt.
Today's Insights
Wisdom is one of the great themes of the Bible. In fact, in Old Testament wisdom literature, poetry is designed to show the difference between wisdom and folly. This is often done through the poetic device of parallelism. In antithetical parallelism, a verse will contain two lines that contrast with one another, as seen in Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” This device is found throughout Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and makes a vivid case for living a life of wisdom in a world wracked by foolishness. The book of Proverbs offers practical advice for how to use our words wisely. We can ask God for wisdom when we don’t know how to respond in difficult situations. In the New Testament, James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (1:5).
For further study, read: Guided by the Spirit
Gentle Answers with God’s Help
A gentle answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1
“Close it up. I’ve seen enough.” Those were the words of an older, experienced beekeeper to me one afternoon when I was learning how to tend a hive. My movements had been quick and forceful, causing vibrations that alarmed the bees and resulted in a growing swarm around my head. Even though I was trying to care for them, I was only making them angry. My friend proceeded to show me the importance of moving “softly,” using gentle motions that were less likely to disturb the bees. Today (years later), when I go into a hive, my motions are so much smoother that my wife tells me it almost looks like I’m dancing.
Sometimes difficult conversations are like dancing with bees. When others are upset and emotions are tense, reacting angrily only makes matters worse. As King Solomon observed, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Responding kindly and peacefully to those who are irritated or unreasonable may take time to learn. But because gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit at work within us (see Galatians 5:22-23), with God’s help we can make progress in it.
These days I’m learning to pray for wisdom and gentleness whenever I go into a hive or a difficult conversation. When we walk with God into tense moments, our “help in trouble” is never far away (Psalm 46:1).
Reflect & Pray
How can God help you react gently to someone who’s angry? What will you say to someone who needs a gentle response from you today?
Dear Jesus, please help me to gently share Your love in the ways I respond to others today.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, October 01, 2026
The Sphere of Exaltation
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain. — Mark 9:2
We’ve all had times on the mountain, when we’ve seen from God’s viewpoint and have wanted to stay on high. But God will never allow this. The test of our spiritual life lies in our ability to keep the vision God gives on the mountain in our sights as we descend. If we only have the power to rise, something is wrong.
It’s a great thing to be up on the mountain with our Lord, but he only takes us up with him for one reason—so that we may go down again into the valley and lift up those around us. We aren’t built for the mountains and the dawns and the breathtaking views; they are for moments of inspiration, nothing else. We’re built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff of daily life. That is where we have to prove our mettle.
Spiritual selfishness always wants to get back to the mountaintop. When we are spiritually selfish, we are always claiming that of course we’d live like angels—if we could stay on high. We have to learn that moments of exaltation are exceptional. They have meaning in our life with God, but we have to make sure that spiritual selfishness doesn’t cause us to want them all the time.
We tend to think that everything that happens is meant to teach us something. A mountaintop experience isn’t meant to teach us anything; it’s meant to make us something new. God wants our experiences to develop our character.
When it comes to spiritual matters, there’s a great trap in asking, “What’s the point of this?” It isn’t for us to know the point. The moments on the mountaintop are rare, and they are meant for something in God’s own purpose.
Isaiah 11-13; Ephesians 4
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word.
Disciples Indeed, 386 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, October 01, 2026
Only One You - #10364
Scripture: Philippians 3:5
Having watched some of the old Superman TV shows and some of the movies, it’s got to be tough for Clark Kent. I mean, these days it’s getting harder and harder to find a phone booth to change in. That’s what he used to do! But He always manages to change his identity to Superman. That’s the important thing. You can’t be a super hero until you change your identity. When you think about it, most of our super heroes over the years don’t become heroes without that change of identity, whether it’s Clark Kent changing to Superman, or it’s Wonder Woman, or it’s Batman. Now, that’s okay for the comics, but in real life, the heroes are the ones who never change their identity.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Only One You.”
Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Philippians 3. It’s about a man who had many possible identities. He would make Clark Kent look like a piker. Listen to this. The Apostle Paul writes to us about some of the identities in his life. He says beginning in verse 5, “I was circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, I am a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin…” “I’ve got a tribe I’m very proud I’m from.” He says, “a Hebrew of the Hebrews.” He says, “I’m the top of the line in that department.” “…in regard to the law, I’m a Pharisee.”
Boy, there’s another identity. And then, “As for zeal, persecuting the church,” He said, “I was a very good church persecutor.” Great way to make a living, huh? He says, “As for legalistic righteousness, I was faultless.” Look at all those identities this guy’s got. Now, “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Out of all the identities Paul could have had, he said, “There’s one that I want to step into. I have settled on one identity and I have decided to give that one identity everything I’ve got. It is following Jesus Christ. That’s who I am.”
Most of us are like Clark Kent. There’s the me I am at work. Now, I don’t get into a phone booth (can’t find one anyway), but I change my identity to be the me I am at church, and then there’s the me I am with my wife, and then the me I am with different groups of friends, and the me playing sports, etc.
I talked with this high school football player, and he said, “Ron, it’s tough to be only one of 30 kids who stands up to the teacher when they say godless things. It’s tough to be the only guy in the locker room with a clean mouth and the only guy who is loyal to Christ.” I wanted to encourage him. I said, “Bill, you won’t always be a football player. You won’t always be a student at that school. You won’t always be friends with those kids. You won’t always be a student in that class. There’s only one thing you’ll always be. You’ll always be a follower of Christ.” I’ll tell you what I told him. “Life becomes more peaceful, less stressful, and less confusing when you pick one identity and stick with it.”
See, life settles down when you make this choice, “I’m going to really be what I’ll always be.” And that’s what you’ll always be, a follower of Christ. That was Paul’s choice. He said, “All other identities are temporary.” Don’t let a temporary identity cause you to betray who you really are and who you will always be. You’re so afraid. It’s kind of like “Well I’m an employee of Company X, or I’m a student of Professor Y, or I’m a neighbor or coworker of person Z.” None of those are who you are. Whose hero do you want to be?
Don’t let your Jesus identity be your secret identity anymore. You will forever be the property of Jesus Christ bought with His blood. So why don’t you really be what you’ll always be. Fantasy heroes keep changing identities, but real heroes pick one and go for it because heroes know who they are.
