Digging Deeper – Sowing Seed in Unfavorable Conditions

Avatar photo Ryan Hoffer on October 30, 2026

 

The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man…

Matthew 13:37


SOWING SEED IN UNFAVORABLE CONDITIONS

One thing that I can’t help but notice when reading the Parable of the Sower is that the sower sows his seed not only on good soil but also on soil that he knows will produce no fruit. Three of the four examples are unfavorable conditions: the hardened path, the rocks, and the thorns. Why would any farmer in his right mind sow in places he knew there would be no yield? If done intentionally, this would seem like a futile, even ridiculous effort. However, when you begin to unpack the spiritual implications of the act, there is extraordinary theological significance. We see that this act of God is extravagant, graceful, and instructive.

Let us first recall that the sower is the Son of Man. Though this is not stated explicitly, the inference is made by the context as well as Christ’s own words from another parable later on: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” (Matthew 13:37). Additionally, we know that the seed is the “word of God” (Luke 8:11). The four types of ground are categories of people distinguished by their response to the Word of God. So then, the Son of Man is spreading the Word of God to all people, without discrimination, even to those who will reject Him. Firstly, in doing so, He is extravagant. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

This “everyone” includes all categories of people, coinciding with the different types of terrain from the parable. He sows His seed without reservation to all people. Secondly, He is graceful. He not only doesn’t give us what we deserve, but He instead gives us what we don’t deserve (you may need to read that again)—this is the definition of grace. Romans 5:8: “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” The rocky terrain does not deserve the seed. Indeed, it will bear no fruit, and this He knows. And yet, the Sower freely gives it. Lastly, we see this act of the sower as instructive for us. We are to tell the world at large about Jesus, irrespective of persons. In Luke 24:47, Jesus tells the disciples, “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” We are to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all of those around us—to the responsive heart as well as the hardened, shallow, and crowded hearts.

A final thought: this parable was never about the soil. It is not called the “parable of the four soils”—as appropriate as that would be. Instead, Jesus calls it “the parable of the sower.” Yes, it teaches us about responsive and unresponsive hearts, but it also tells us just as much about the nature of the Sower. Take a moment to consider what this parable teaches you about Jesus.

God bless you today.

Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Digging Deeper – On the Lapsed

Avatar photo Ryan Hoffer on October 29, 2026

 

They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away…

Luke 8:13


ON THE LAPSED

In 251 A.D., the first systematic persecution of Christianity took place in the Roman Empire. The emperor Decius issued an imperial edict requiring all subjects to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods (including Decius himself) in the presence of a government official. After the rite had taken place, the individual would then receive a “libellus”—a certificate signed by the magistrate that the sacrifice had taken place (a number of these documents have survived the ages and are on display in museums around the world; see https://tinyurl.com/5n95vnes for several from the University of Michigan). Those who did not receive a libellus were stripped of their possessions and arrested and, in some cases, killed—their stories of martyrdom recorded by the Christians of the early church. An overwhelming number of Christians quickly fell away from the church. They either succumbed to idol worship and completed the sacrifice or bribed officials into purchasing a certificate saying they had. Fortunately, the persecution was short-lived. The following year, Decius died in battle, and his edict came to an end, though it would not be the last systematic persecution of the church.

Immediately after the Decian persecution, those who had recanted their faith sought readmission into the church. They were labeled “lapsed” Christians, and their readmission to the church became the subject of a great controversy. One church leader named Novatian asserted that they could be forgiven, but under no circumstances could lapsed Christians be readmitted. On the other hand, Cyprian, the famous bishop of Carthage, argued that while the sin was indeed egregious, there must be a process by which repentant lapsed Christians could be restored to communion in the Church. In 251 A.D., he wrote a famous book on the subject called On the Lapsed. Cyprian’s theology was very influential on the development of later church practice in Western civilization.

The falling away of a great number of Christians during a time of testing brings to mind the condition of the second and third soils in the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:14-15:

Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature (NIV).

For the great many caught unprepared during the Decian persecution, it was revealed that their hearts were indeed rocky soil. This predicament may seem foreign to us because we live in a time and place of religious freedom, but it is nevertheless real. Let us thank God for the times of peace we experience as Christians, but let us also live prepared, knowing that times of testing are a revelation of the soil of the human heart. Let it be said of us that we held fast with an “honest and good heart [bearing] fruit with patience” (Lk. 8:15) when tribulations arise.

Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Doubt: Living with Heart

Jeff Swarr on October 29, 2026

 

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” 9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’ 11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. … 18 “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” 19 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.” 21 Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

Luke 8:4-15; 18-21

 

LIVING WITH HEART

Over ten years ago, I was reading through the Bible, and the word “heart” kept jumping off the page at me.

I reached out to Greg Carey, a professor at Lancaster Theological Seminary, who shared this insightful nugget with me: The Hebrew word “lev” was used in the original text of the Bible. The word lev is used intentionally because it represents the central hub of our lives, rather than just the physical organ. The heart is the center of our spiritual life and the foundation for our reasoning, decision-making, reflecting, and rational thought.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”— Proverbs 16:9

Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that while we may plan our journey, the Lord guides our steps.

How do we know we are on the path that God has for us?

We are called to pay attention to the moments—the breadcrumbs that God drops along our path. These breadcrumbs serve as reminders that God is guiding our steps, keeping our souls nourished and our hearts fresh.

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” — Deuteronomy 6:5-6

We take the words we read in Scripture and store them in our hearts. We hold them close so we can keep our hearts aligned with our walk with Jesus and our service to others. This reflects the encouragement in Hebrews 3:12-13: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Each day, we turn our heart to God.

Each day, recognize the breadcrumbs God leaves along your path.

Each day, be a breadcrumb in someone else’s journey.

Each day, live, work, and serve straight from the heart.

Lead well. Love better.

Jeff

Jeffrey Swarr is a baseball coach, author, and educator dedicated to helping others unlock their potential through mindset, resilience, leadership, and positive self-talk. A seasoned high school head baseball coach and author of works such as A Competitor’s Heart and The Daily Competitor, he shares daily insights on personal growth and purposeful living. Jeffrey strives to share his Christian faith with the students and athletes he is blessed to coach. He is married to Emily and the proud father of Simon, Spencer, and Shepherd.

Digging Deeper – Sowing at Home

Avatar photo Ryan Hoffer on October 28, 2026

 

And he was teaching them many things in parables…

Mark 4:2


SOWING AT HOME

Last year, we had the water line running to our house break and flood the front yard (hours before we were about to leave for vacation, I might add). It was quite a spectacle. After everything was said and done and the plumbing was repaired, there was a gigantic section on our front lawn where the grass had been destroyed. Like any responsible person in the throes of homeownership, I found myself out in the yard tilling and reseeding the lawn. Using my handheld spreader, I sowed seed generously in the affected area. Some landed in the correct spot, some flung far away, and some even landed on the driveway. As the days went by, new grass began to spring up, but not everywhere. I realized some areas hadn’t been tilled properly, and the seed simply sat atop the ground, never finding purchase in the soil.

Likewise, I used the blower to clear the driveway of the seed that had fallen by the wayside. Do you think that the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15) crossed my mind through all of this? You betcha! It was all I could think about. The Lord was giving me an object lesson to teach me something I already knew but needed to remember by way of experience.

What a great and merciful God, He that condescends to draw the eternal from the humbler and plainer figures of everyday life and observation—fields and forests, ploughmen and fishermen, beauty and creation. In wisdom, He gives parables that can at once instruct an ancient audience and yet find familiarity among modern readers so displaced in time. An old theologian, describing the accessibility of Christ’s teaching, says, “The homeliness of the illustrations, whilst it links the teaching with the daily life of His time, yet sufficiently frees them from local peculiarity to render them of universal application.” It is no surprise, therefore, that after He finished these parables, the multitude murmured, “From whence has this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto him?” (Mark 6:2). Yet, in spite of their astonishment, many took offense at Him and unwittingly demonstrated that their hearts were the footpath robbed of the seeds by the birds.

Take inventory this morning. Is the Holy Spirit using the ordinary around you to illustrate some spiritual truth that you may be missing out on? Ask Him to give you awareness. Pray for ears to hear and eyes to see that you may have an “honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).

 

Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Digging Deeper – Seed to Sow

Avatar photo Ryan Hoffer on October 27, 2026

 

A sower went forth to sow…

Luke 8:5 (KJV)


SEED TO SOW

In 1991, Michael W. Smith’s album, Go West Young Man, proved to be a hugely successful effort for the artist. It catapulted the singer into fame as the single “Place in This World” topped the U.S. Billboard charts and became a mainstream crossover sensation on secular radio. In the Christian music scene, the album took home a Dove Award for Contemporary/Pop Album of the Year. Just to highlight the far-reaching success of the album, I was not a believer at the time, and yet I recall hearing “Place in This World” and being fascinated by the chorus. Almost a decade later, when I became a Christian, I went back and listened to the album with new ears, and it has since had a special place in my heart.


One of my favorite songs off of the record, however, has to be “Seed to Sow.” Of course, with this Sunday’s message being on the parable of the sower from Luke 8, it was inevitable that I went back and listened to the song. So, I’m going to ask a lot of you here: whether you love or hate the late-eighties/early-nineties synth-pop aesthetic (which presents itself in its full glory on the album cover), give the song a listen and follow along.


Smith begins by describing the diverse types of sowing according to different people:
Some people quietly reveal in the manner of the meek
Some people shout the way they feel to a radical degree
Some people sing it to express while others hear another call
Some people speak with subtleness, some don’t rely on words at all


Finally, he returns to his ultimate conclusion: “One thing I know, everybody’s got a seed to sow.” Firstly, Smith is making a good observation. We, too, are sowers. Yes, God is the ultimate sower, and this point is usually made when interpreting Jesus’ parable in Luke 8. However, as disciples and laborers for the kingdom, we also sow seeds of the gospel in the hearts of others. Writing to the church in Corinth, Paul considers himself a sower of the word of God: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6). We are obligated to share the love of Christ generously, that others may see for themselves and believe. In this manner, we sow.


Toward the end of the song, Smith makes an appeal to anyone who would doubt their usefulness as a sower: “God can use what you can give within the mystery of His ways. Don’t underestimate.” Our Lord took the five loaves and two fish of an unnamed lad and fed the multitude. When we doubt our usefulness, we echo the words of Andrew, who said, “How far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9; NIV). To quote Paul again, “…God [gives] the increase.”


Be sure of one thing today: if you have the love of Christ within, you have seed to sow. Now go forth and sow it! I pray that this song, cheesy as it is, is an encouragement to you today.

 

Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Digging Deeper – Fell by the Wayside

Avatar photo Ryan Hoffer on October 26, 2026

 

A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.

Luke 8:5


FELL BY THE WAYSIDE

In 1526, an English priest by the name of William Tyndale published his English translation of the Bible, an act that was condemned by the institutional religion of his time. As a result, he was charged as a heretic, hunted, and burned at the stake in October of 1536. But the work had already begun; his Bibles had been smuggled into England inside bales of cloth and were being distributed throughout the country. By the time of his death, more than 50,000 copies of his New Testament had been sold in England. His dying words were said to have been, “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes!”—a prayer that was soon to be answered by God Almighty. Less than five years later, King Henry VIII broke ties with Rome and ordered English translations to be placed in churches throughout the country.

Not only did Tyndale’s translation make an enormous contribution to the emerging Protestant cause, but it also left a lasting legacy on the English language. Many idiomatic expressions have their origin in Tyndale’s translation, such as “salt of the earth,” “writing on the wall,” “a stone’s throw,” and “fight the good fight.” One phrase that is particular to this week’s devotion is “fell by the wayside” (Luke 8:5).

Tyndale’s translation of Luke 8:5 reads, “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed some fell by the wayside and it was trodden under feet and the fowls of the air devoured it up.” Compare this to the NLT translation, which reads, “…some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.” Notice how our understanding of the idiomatic expression lends new perspective to the text. When one “falls by the wayside,” they are said to fail to accomplish something or to give up. For example, “As life got busier, his fitness routine fell by the wayside,” or “When the going got tough, we fell by the wayside for lack of preparation.” Likewise, the seed that falls by the wayside doesn’t amount to anything—to employ the vernacular.

Next time you hear the expression “fall by the wayside,” remember two things: 1) the parable of the sower and the unfruitful conditions of this first type of terrain and 2) the enormous impact the Word of God has had on our language, mostly without our even being aware of it! Wouldn’t it be cool if even etymology could become an avenue for us to share the gospel with others who use these phrases unwittingly?

 

Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Digging Deeper: The Battle of Wills

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on October 23, 2026

 

9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)


THE BATTLE OF WILLS

 

When most of us think about prayer, we probably think about asking God for something. We pray for our families, our jobs, our relationships, our finances, our health, our future, and a hundred other things. There is nothing wrong with asking God for those things. In fact, Jesus tells us to ask. But what if there is something happening in prayer that is even more important than getting the thing we asked for? What if one of the primary purposes of prayer is to change what we want? In this passage, Jesus reminds us that God is a good Father. He knows what His children need, He cares about His children, and He gives good gifts to His children. In fact, Jesus ends the thought by saying, “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” That sounds simple, but it completely changes how we should approach prayer.

If God is actually a good Father, then prayer doesn’t have to be about convincing Him to care about the things we care about. He already cares. We don’t have to manipulate Him into giving us good things. We don’t have to find the perfect words or say enough prayers to finally get His attention. We come to Him because He is our Father. And when we spend time with our Father, something begins to happen… our hearts begin to change. When we pray, we come to God with our limited perspective. We see what is happening right now. We know what we want right now. We know what we think would make things better right now. But God sees the entire picture. He knows what we don’t know. He understands what we don’t understand. He sees where our desires will lead us.

So prayer becomes more than asking God to bend His will toward ours. It becomes an opportunity for God to bend our will toward His. This is why Jesus gives us such a powerful example in the Lord’s Prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s will to be done. That means prayer isn’t just, “God, here’s what I want You to do.” It’s also, “God, help me want what You want.” That can be uncomfortable because sometimes God’s will is different from ours. We may pray, “God, give me this job,” while God is teaching us to trust Him when we don’t get it. We may pray, “God, fix this relationship,” while God is asking us to forgive someone. We may pray, “God, make my life easier,” while God is using a difficult season to make us more dependent on Him. We may pray, “God, give me what I want,” while God is slowly showing us that what we want isn’t actually what we need.

And that is where prayer becomes transformative. Instead of prayer simply changing our circumstances, prayer begins changing us. The more time we spend talking to God, listening to His Word, and bringing our desires before Him, the more we begin to recognize that some of the things we desperately wanted weren’t actually good for us. We begin to care about things we didn’t care about before. We begin to see people differently. We become more concerned with God’s glory than our comfort. We become more willing to forgive, serve, sacrifice, and obey. Prayer doesn’t always change what is happening around us. Sometimes it changes the person experiencing what is happening. That’s why we shouldn’t measure the effectiveness of our prayer life only by whether we got what we asked for. Sometimes God answers our prayer by changing the situation. Sometimes He answers by changing us in the situation. And if we’re honest, changing us may be the greater miracle.

Think about the things you are currently praying for. Now ask yourself a different question. Not just, “God, will You give me this?” but, “God, what do You want to teach me through this?” Not just, “God, will You change this person?” but, “God, what do You want to change in me?” Not just, “God, when will You fix this?” but, “God, how can I become more like Jesus while I wait?” Those questions begin to change our prayers. We still ask boldly. We still bring our desires to God. We still believe He can do things we cannot do. But we hold our desires with open hands, trusting that our Father knows what is best.

Prayer is not us trying to get God on our side. Prayer is us learning to get on His side. And maybe that is one of the greatest gifts prayer gives us. We come into prayer thinking we need God to change our circumstances, but we leave realizing that we need God to change our hearts. We come telling God what we want, and over time, He teaches us to want what He wants. So keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Bring your biggest prayers and your smallest prayers to your Father. But as you pray, don’t only ask God to change the things around you. Ask Him to change you. Because the ultimate goal of prayer isn’t simply getting God to do our will. It’s allowing God to shape our hearts until His will becomes what we want, too.

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

Digging Deeper: What If God Withholds?

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on October 22, 2026

 

9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:9-11 (ESV)


WHAT IF GOD WITHHOLDS?

 

We’ve spent the last few days talking about prayer, and if you’ve been following along, you may be asking… What if God doesn’t answer my prayer? That’s a much harder question. It’s easy to talk about prayer when the answer is yes. We love the stories where someone prays for something and God comes through in an incredible way. We love hearing about the impossible situation that suddenly changed, the healing that nobody expected, or the door that opened at exactly the right time. Those stories remind us that God hears our prayers and that He is capable of doing far more than we could imagine. But what about when you pray and nothing changes? What about when you ask God to bring about good health and He doesn’t? What about when you pray for a relationship to work out and it ends? What about when you ask God to open a door and it stays firmly shut? What about when you pray for years for something and the answer seems to be silence?

Our passage from last Sunday gives us such hope. Matthew 7:9–11 gives us one of the most comforting pictures of God in the entire Bible. Jesus says, “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?” Jesus is making a simple point: good parents want good things for their children. If we, as imperfect people, know how to give good gifts to our children, “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” I love that Jesus calls God our Father. He doesn’t describe Him as a distant God who reluctantly listens to our requests. He describes a Father who knows us, loves us, and wants to give good things to His children. But there is something important we have to remember. God being good does not mean God will give us everything we ask for.

As a parent, there will be plenty of things my daughters ask me for that I will say no to. That doesn’t mean I don’t love them. In fact, sometimes the reason I say no is because I love them. A child may not understand why the answer is no because they can only see what they want in that moment. A parent has a different perspective. God has a completely different perspective than we do. There are things I have prayed for that I desperately wanted God to say yes to. There are things I have prayed about where I was convinced I knew exactly what God needed to do. But looking back, I can also see moments when what I thought was a good thing wasn’t actually the best thing for me. That doesn’t make the “no” easy. Sometimes we use phrases like “God has something better” so casually that we forget how painful it can be to actually live through unanswered prayer. There are moments when you don’t want a lesson. You don’t want character development. You don’t want to hear that God has a different plan. You just want the thing you prayed for.

Here is a truth that maybe you need to hear today. God can handle your honesty! You don’t have to pretend that a “no” doesn’t hurt. You don’t have to convince yourself that you never wanted what you prayed for. You can bring your disappointment to God because He is not threatened by your questions, your frustration, or even your grief. Jesus Himself modeled this in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed that the cup of suffering would be taken from Him, but ultimately surrendered Himself to the Father’s will. The prayer wasn’t wrong because He asked for something that didn’t happen. The prayer was an honest expression of what He desired, followed by a willingness to trust the Father. That may be one of the hardest parts of prayer: when we continue to trust God when His answer is not the one we wanted.

Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes the answer is not yet. And sometimes we may never fully understand the answer this side of eternity. But Matthew 7 reminds us that whatever the answer is, we can trust the heart of the One giving it. Jesus doesn’t say, “Your Father in heaven will give you everything you ask for.” He says your Father will give good things to those who ask Him. That means our confidence in prayer ultimately cannot rest in getting what we want. It must rest in knowing who we are asking. If my confidence in God is dependent on Him giving me the answer I want, then I will eventually find myself disappointed with Him. But if my confidence is rooted in who He is, then even when I don’t understand His answer, I can still trust Him.

Maybe that is where you are today. You have prayed the same prayer over and over, and you’re starting to wonder if God is even listening. Maybe you’ve been waiting for an answer for months or years. Maybe God has already answered, but the answer was no, and you’re struggling to understand why. Keep talking to Him. You can ask again. You can tell Him what you want. You can tell Him that you’re disappointed. You can tell Him that you don’t understand. And then, even when you don’t understand His answer, you can remind yourself of what Jesus told you… your Father is good! We may not always understand the answer, but we can trust the Father. Sometimes the greatest answer to prayer isn’t getting the thing we asked for. Sometimes it is discovering that even when God says no, He is still good, He is still present, and He is still our Father. Rest in that truth today!

 

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

Pray, Pray Often, Pray Boldly

Marlin McPhail on October 21, 2026

 

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Matthew 28:39

 

PRAY, PRAY OFTEN, PRAY BOLDLY

Prayer, for some, is quite easy, natural in fact. For me, it is not! I have asked many people about how they pray, and I know I’ve been given very good advice. However, what works for one doesn’t always work for another.

As a coach, depending on what level you work, you sometimes have the opportunity to pick the players you work with, while others, you are handed the players. In either scenario, the players are all individuals and all likely have to be motivated and coached “differently.”

Some might need a good motivational kick in the rear end from time to time, while others need the shoulder hug as motivation. Regardless of how you engage with the player, you still have to coach them on a level they understand as well. They all come from different upbringings and backgrounds and learn in many different ways!

I suspect prayer is much the same! God knows all about us. Nothing is hidden from Him. Our hopes, our dreams, our needs, and everything in between! What He wants us to do is bring it to Him. We need to be willing to communicate in some form or fashion with Him, all of it!

Just like working with your players, you need to find your mode of motivation and figure out what avenue best fits a way for you to get it done! Once we get there, the job isn’t over. We need to be bold, lay it all out on the table. Even though God knows all, He wants you to express in any words you can manage…that YOU know! Ask, and answers will come in God’s timeframe. But you need to pray to get answers!

Scripture allows us to see many examples of bold prayer. Above, in Matt. 28:39, is part of Jesus’ approach in the Garden of Gethsemane. Here is one from David after falling badly with Bathsheba.

David: Psalm 51:1–2

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

Pretty direct, and there are so many more examples of bold prayer for intercession, supplication, and repentance in the Bible. Many of us are asked to pray for others and have asked others to pray for us. I’m still working on a delivery method! I believe simple works, like “Lord, heal (insert name here).” I also believe God wants us to ask for blessings upon ourselves and our family if it’s something we truly want!

You can be more eloquent and flowery with your prayer. It’s your prayer! It’s your comfort level. However it gets done, I promise you, any prayer (communication) with God is better than none! Find your niche and pray!

Be well, Build well, Serve well.

Marlin

Marlin McPhail worked in professional baseball for 44 years before retiring in 2025.  He played ten years with three different teams in the minors and then spent his final 34 years with the New York Mets as a Minor League Coach and Amateur Scout.  Marlin resides with his wife Terry in Irmo, S.C. and has two grown children and five grandchildren. 

Digging Deeper: The Difference Between Asking and Surrender

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on October 21, 2026

 

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Matthew 26:36-46 (ESV)


THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASKING AND SURRENDER

 

Yesterday, we focused on the big prayers we pray. What would happen if we saw lives changed, miracles happening, and people coming to know Jesus? We’d be so excited! But today, I want to challenge you to think about another reason our prayers may be lacking. Do you ever pray for God to bring about change while secretly hoping He won’t ask you to change anything?

Think of it this way. (Here is my chance to insert something about the TV show Survivor.) I always say I would go on the show. I would love to compete. I believe I have the relational ability and strategic mind to win, and it would be fun! But what if today I got a call from Jeff Probst saying they needed a replacement contestant, filming started tomorrow, and I would be gone for 45 days?

This would be a dream come true! But what if those dates landed on our biggest night of our college ministry? What if filming overlapped with one of my daughter’s birthdays? What would my wife think if I left her for 45 days straight? At some point, I would have to ask myself, “Do I actually want to do this?” I’ve always said I wanted to be on Survivor, but when the opportunity finally came, I might discover that I wasn’t willing to accept everything that came with it. There is a difference between saying we want something and being willing to embrace what it requires.

I believe many of us do the same thing in our spiritual lives. We pray for God to give us victory over a particular sin, but we don’t want to give up the things that continually lead us back into it. We pray for spiritual growth, but we don’t want to rearrange our schedules to spend time in His Word. We pray for God to use us, but we don’t want to be inconvenienced. Sometimes the problem with our prayers isn’t that we don’t believe God is able to answer them. The problem is that we know He is more than able, but that it might require something from us.

What if the way God answers your prayer looks different from what you expected? What if He doesn’t immediately remove a struggle, but instead gives you the strength and discipline to keep fighting? What if He doesn’t remove a difficult person from your life, but teaches you patience, forgiveness, and grace? Would you still want the answer?

This is where Jesus gives us an incredible example. In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing the suffering that was ahead of Him, Jesus prayed to the Father in verse 39, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus was honest about what He wanted. He asked the Father if there was another way, but He also surrendered Himself to the Father’s will. He brought His desire before God without allowing that desire to take priority over obedience.

That is an important distinction in our prayer lives. Surrender doesn’t mean we stop asking God for things or pretend we don’t have our own desires. We can bring Him our fears, frustrations, hopes, and the things we desperately want Him to change. But we must also trust Him when His answer looks different from what we expected. It’s easy to pray, “God, here’s what I want You to do.” It’s much harder to pray, “God, here’s what I want You to do, but I trust You even if Your plan looks different from mine.”

Sometimes God changes our circumstances, and sometimes He uses those circumstances to change us. We may ask Him to help our daily life, but He may use a difficult season to deepen our dependence on Him. We may ask Him to fix a relationship, but He may first challenge us to forgive. We may ask Him to remove an obstacle, but He may use it to teach us patience and perseverance. We won’t always understand why God answers the way He does, but we can trust that He sees what we cannot see and knows what we cannot know.

So, what are you praying for right now? Are you asking God to change something in your life? Maybe you’re asking Him to help you overcome a struggle, grow in your faith, or use you in a new way. Keep asking Him. Pray boldly and honestly, but also consider whether you’re willing to trust Him with the outcome. Are you willing to obey if He asks you to take a difficult step? Are you willing to let go of something you’ve been holding onto? Are you willing to follow Him even when His answer isn’t the one you hoped for?

Jesus reminds us that we can bring our requests to a good Father who hears us and cares for us. We don’t have to hide what we want from Him, and we don’t have to be afraid to surrender those desires to Him. Prayer is not just asking God to do what we want. It’s trusting Him enough to surrender to what He wants.

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.