Author: Susan Elizabeth Ball

Unlock the transformative power of faith with Susan Ball, author of the acclaimed Christian Bible study, 'Honoring God with Your Money,' and the captivating trilogy of Christian novels: 'Restorations,' 'Reconciliations,' and "Letters to Mother from College." Delve into timeless wisdom that enriches lives. Beyond writing, Susan brings her expertise as a small business consultant and draws from her experience as a former pizza restaurant owner. Embrace her unique perspective as a devoted wife, mother, and proud grandmother of 8. Explore Susan Ball's inspiring works on Amazon and embark on a journey of spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. Subscribe now to join a community dedicated to living with purpose and faith. Access Susan Ball's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Elizabeth-Ball/author/B0047P60V2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Symphony of Prayer

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20

When I read this Scripture, I always envision a group of people joining together in prayer. For example, in our church, we often surround a person who has requested prayer and physically reach out and touch them while praying for them. At other times, we hold hands and pray. Of course, we can agree in prayer over the phone or even through emails. Yet, I tend to think of Christians praying together in one place.

Tonight I was introduced to another way of thinking about this verse. In his book Secrets of a Prayer Warrior, Derek Prince offers a picture of Christians harmonizing in prayers, much as a symphony harmonizes. Prince calls this harmonizing “the prayer symphony” and uses it to build a foundation for effective prayer.

According to Prince, the word translated as ‘agree’ comes the Greek word sumphoneo, or symphony. He also states that ‘gathered together’ literally means ‘have been led together.’ As Christians, we are led by the Holy Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) Therefore, Prince writes, this verse is telling us “that any time two or three have been led together by the Holy Spirit into a meeting place, which is the name of Jesus, then they can count on His presence. Additionally, if these ones shall symphonize–come together in perfect harmony–concerning anything that they shall ask, then it will be done for them.”

If we think of agreeing and coming together as being led by the Holy Spirit to pray in harmony , we can come together in the spirit of prayer wherever we are and pray as we are all lead by the same Holy Spirit. Prince likens Christians being led in prayer by the Holy Spirit as a conductor leading an orchestra of musicians through a musical score. The conductor is the Holy Spirit, the musicians are the Christians being brought together, and the score is the Word of God. As the read the score, His will is revealed to us so that we know how He would have us pray.

Prince continues, “With these components in place, the Holy Spirit lifts the baton of His authority and unites the playing of many different instruments.” He then encourages each of us to consider prayer as “taking your place in the orchestra and playing your instrument. You are not confined to one instrument, of course, although you probably have an affinity for a particular one. These instruments are praise, thanksgiving, worship, petition, intercession, supplication, command, commitment, dedication, persistence, blessing, and cursing.”

I am excited to continue to read this book and discover more about prayer and the secrets of becoming a true prayer warrior. As I come to the Lord in prayer, I will be encouraged to think of millions of Christians around the world joining in the Symphony of Prayer and playing their particular instruments as we agree together according to His Word.

A Timely Word

Proverbs 15:23 says, “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!” That verse sprung to mind this morning as I spent a few minutes on Facebook yesterday. I had awaken up feeling a bit overwhelmed and burdened. The last couple of months have been more stressful than our normal life.

Some of the stress, such as dealing with the declining health of older loved ones, is a normal part of life. It’s not pleasant, but it is unavoidable. Other stress is productive, as it pushes us to accomplish tasks that need to be done. Some other stresses are really external to my life, involving loved ones walking through difficult situations. Those are not really my burdens to bear. I can’t affect those situations except through prayer and offering godly wisdom when I am asked.

Even though I knew all that, I awoke feeling the weight of those burdens. I was feeling a bit ‘woe is me,’ and went so far as to ask the Lord, “Can’t we just have a couple weeks without so much stress?” That’s what I was feeling when I opened Facebook and the first status update I read was from a dear friend Joe:

So………. to all my friends………… remember and repeat after me,
“THIS!……… is the day that our Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad!”Let no one define you today but you. Think about this, if you were writing the story of your life, why would you give the pen to someone other than yourself?

You are valuable and worth much to your Father in Heaven!. and to me too.

jus sayin’

Wow. What a timely word. As if that wasn’t enough to get me back on track, I skimmed down further and read a post from my friend Becky.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Another very timely word. I am so thankful that God knows just what we need to encourage us as we walk through the trials of this life. Sometimes He speaks to me through His word, and other times He allows someone to speak a timely word to me.

Have you noticed God speaking just the words you need to hear at the time you need to hear them?

Miracle Baby

Last week reporters and photographer waited with baited breath to get their first glimpses of the new born Prince of Cambridge as he left the hospital with his parents. Closer to home and with much less fanfare, another recently arrived baby, Baby E, also went home from the hospital. Baby E was born about a week before the new prince. Her arrival was also eagerly anticipated, not only by her parents and grandparents, but by the many people who had been praying for months for her.

Several months ago Baby E’s parents received news from their doctor that no parent wants to hear, “There’s a problem with the baby.” Tests determined that Baby E would be born with spina bifida. The parents were counseled to consider aborting the baby. If she lived, they were told, she would be paralyzed from the waist down, she would have trouble sucking, and she might not be able to breath on her own. Her parents believe in prayer and in the sanctity of life. Word spread quickly among their family, friends, and extended church families. Hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of us prayed diligently for Baby E to be healed of the defects the doctors predicted for her.

When Baby E was delivered by Caesarean section, we got the miracle for which we had been praying. Baby E was born kicking her little legs and breathing on her own. Very soon she began sucking on a pacifier. At a few days old, she had surgery to repair a small hole in her back. The surgery went well and a week later, Baby E went home to meet her big brother.

I am very thankful that God touched Baby E and healed her tiny body. Yet, He didn’t completely heal her. This left me wondering ‘Why.’ Why was she born with a hole in her back and needing surgery? Why will she always be scarred a bit from that surgery? Mothers take care to protect their children from injuries and scars. Boys, on the other hand, are proud of their scars and compare theirs with others to determine who had the most serious injuries (ie, the scene in ‘Jaws’ where the men compare their scars).

God told the people of Israel to erect monuments to remind them of God’s provisions for them. Likewise, scars can be reminders of injuries and illnesses that we have overcome with God’s help. This scar will be a reminder to Baby E and her parents of God’s faithfulness and goodness to them. When they look a the scar, they will remember that the doctor’s dire prediction did not come to pass. I believe the scar also serves to reinforce that the doctor did not make a mistake. Baby E was properly diagnosed with spina bifida; it was the prognosis that was incorrect.

Baby E’s parents serve the Lord God who created each of us and is perfectly capable of healing our infirmed bodies. The Lord healed the parts of Baby E’s body that the doctors were incapable of fixing, but He left to them the repair they could handle. Sometimes God uses doctors to provide healing for our bodies and other times He intervenes miraculously. Only God knows why He moves in the ways He does. Our role is to present our requests to Him, to believe that He is willing and able to answer our requests, and to allow Him to act as He decides is best.

Thwarting Plans

In my devotions currently I am reading through the Psalms. This morning I came across Psalm 33:10 – 11, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the people. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. ” I’ve read these verses before, many times, and they encourage me that God’s plans will come to fruition. Yet today they struck me in a new way.

Christians often exhort one another to pray that God’s purposes will be fulfilled in our nation and in the lives of our family and friends. And we should. Our nation needs to turn our collective hearts back to serving God–the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians across our nation pray that our leaders will seek God’s guidance in decision-making, that our nation will repent of its sins, and that we will acknowledge our dependence on God.

Yet, Psalm 33:10 encourages us to do more. It tells us that God will thwart the plans of those who oppose Him. It says to me that I should pray deliberately for the plans of those who do not honor the Lord to fail. I should pray not only for Congress to pass laws that are in keeping with God’s commands, but I should actively pray for the failure of bills that don’t agree with God’s word. I should pray for our President to make decisions that honor God and to be dissuaded from decisions that do not honor God.

On the one hand, this differentiation might seem like mere semantics. However, as I see it, praying for the failure of those whose who purposes are not in line with God’s will puts me on the offensive. Many Christians in America are very passive concerning the government. We pray as Christ taught us through the Lord’s prayer, “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6: 9, 10) We feel that we have done our part by praying for God’s will to be done, and we sit back and watch our nation move further and further from God.

The time has come for Christians to actively pray against the forces that are driving our nation from God. We need to pray for God’s will to be done and we must pray for the plans of those whose purposes are not godly to be thwarted. Our God is strong and mighty; He is fully capable of ‘foiling the plans of the nations’ and causing His plans and purposes to be achieved, if we ask Him.

I encourage you today to go on the offensive. Begin to pray for God’s will to be done and for God to thwart the plans of those who oppose Him. If Christians across this nation do so, I believe American can still be a nation under God.

Honoring God With Our Money: Cultivating True Wealth

For the past three months, I have taught a Sunday School class entitled, ‘Honoring God With Our Money.’ In this final lesson, we looked at true wealth and how to cultivate it. Money is a necessity in our world and it serves many purposes. However, money in and of itself cannot bring true happiness, contentment, or joy. And money most certainly cannot buy eternal life.

The Bible teaches us that true wealth can only come from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, we must admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior, recognize that Jesus is the only one who can be our Savior, and accept His freely-offered sacrificial death as cleansing for our sins. Repentance and faith in Jesus leads to true peace on Earth and ultimately to an eternity in Heaven.

In Proverbs 22:4, King Solomon wrote that “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.” We must come to the Lord humbly admitting that we are sinners and in fear that He will give us the just punishment our sins demand before we can truly accept His gift of salvation. In accepting Jesus as our Savior, we become children of God and joint heirs with Christ in the abundance of Heaven.

When the rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked what he must do to obtain eternal life, Jesus told him to obey the commandments. When pressed for what else was necessary, “Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. The come, follow me.'” ( Matthew 19:21) The next verse tell us, “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Matthew 19:22) This young man was so tied to his earthly riches that he was unwilling to give them up for the true riches of Heaven. How very sad! Our earthly possessions are fleeting, but true wealth will last forever.

Jesus further illustrated to his disciples the way to acquire true wealth by telling them the parable of the sheep and the goats, found in Matthew 25:31-46:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

I urge you, as you read this post, to consider whether you are cultivating true wealth through your relationship with Jesus Christ and through your actions. If you are not, it’s not too late to start. For those of you who do know Jesus Christ as your Savior, I urge you to use the money God entrusts in you wisely and to honor God in all that you do.

Honoring God With Our Money: Rules of Investing

If you have created a budget and are following it, eventually you will wind up with more in savings than you need for an emergency fund. At that point, you should think and pray about investing your excess money to meet future needs. The following rules of investing are adapted from Larry Burkett’s book, Family Budgets That Work.

Rules of Investing:

Never invest money you cannot afford to lose. All investments have an element of risk and the possibility exist that you might lose all or a portion of the money you have invested. One only has to look at the variability in the stock market to see that this is true.
Never get involved with things you don’t understand. Don’t try to buy individual stocks unless you know the company well and have confidence that it is well-run.
Demand sufficient information to thoroughly evaluate the opportunity. Take the time to thoroughly research possible investments.
Seek good, non-involved Christian counsel. There are many knowledgeable Christian financial counselors who will discuss your needs and goals and help you to make wise investment decisions.
- Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
Set a minimum time to pray and seek God’s direction. Don’t let anyone rush you into an investment decision. If the opportunity is only available for a limited time, it is probably an opportunity you should forgo.
Once you have God’s direction, write out an investment plan. A written plan will help you keep your goals in mind and help you make investment decisions that are consistent with your goals.
- Proverbs 20:5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.
Avoid ‘get rich’ schemes. Plan for slow, steady growth. If it sounds too good to be true, then it almost always is.
- Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
- Proverbs 28:20 – 22 A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality is not good—yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread. The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

Honoring God With Our Money: Savings Plan

Most financial experts recommend that everyone should make a regular habit of saving 5% of their income. A goal for savings should be to accumulate enough savings to cover 3 -6 months of living expenses as a cushion for periods of unemployment due to layoffs and extended illness.

For those who are struggling financially and are unable to meet current expenses, savings is not an option at present. Everyone else should make a goal to save at least a small amount out of each paycheck and to increase that amount as circumstances allow.

Getting into the savings habit can be difficult, so I offer the following steps to assist in getting started on a regular, steady savings plan.

Tips for Developing a Savings Plan

1) Acknowledge that God’s word tells us that it is wise to save in the good times for lean times.

Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Proverbs 21:20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

Story of Joseph in Egypt: Genesis 41: 29 – 36

Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

2) Develop a system for putting money directly into savings.

a. Use a company payroll automatic savings deposit, if possible. This puts the money directly into savings before you receive it.

b. Set up an automatic bank transfer from your checking account to your savings account.

c. Write your savings account a check just as if it were a creditor.

3) When an existing debt is paid off, allocate any extra money toward the next largest debt. When all consumer debt is paid off, then reallocate that money to savings.

4) Set goals for which you are saving, such as a new couch or a vacation. Having a goal for savings will keep you focused and less likely to fritter money away on things that are not truly needed. This money should be in addition to your long-term savings for ’emergencies.’

5) Use the money savings tips provided in an early blog to reduce expenses and have more money to put into savings.

Honoring God With Our Money: Maintaining Good Credit

This week lesson in our series on honoring God with our money covers way to deal with debt and to build credit. Today we will look at ways to maintain good credit and improve poor credit.

A good credit score is important to maintaining a good reputation.

Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

It is easier to maintain good credit than it is to rebuild a poor credit rating. A credit score of about 680 or higher is generally considered to be good or excellent. If your credit score is not good, you should take steps beginning today to rebuild your credit.

A good credit score:

1) Improves your chances of being approved for a loan.

2) Allows you to get better interest rates on loans and credit cards

3) Lowers your car insurance premiums.

4) Helps you to rent an apartment.

To maintain a good credit score or improve your credit score,

1) Always pay bills on time.

2) If you missed a payment, get current and stay current.

3) Never take on more debt than you can repay on your current income.

4) Keep credit card charges to 30 – 40% or less of your credit limit.

5) Don’t close old accounts as they contribute to a longer credit history.

6) Review your credit report annually to check for errors, identity theft, and issues that are pulling your credit score down. Checking your credit report and/or score does not hurt your score.

7) Minimize the number of credit cards you have. Opening new accounts lowers your score.

8) Have different types of credit, such as a mortgage or lease, education loan, car loan, and credit cards.

9) If you have never had credit, you will have no credit history. This can make it difficult to be approved for a mortgage or lease.

10) When shopping for a new car, do so in a short period of time, so it is viewed as a single inquiry rather than multiple. Multiple inquiries in a short time period will lower your score.

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report each year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. To request your free credit report, go to

www.annualcreditreport.com

Honoring God With Our Money: Dealing With Debt

This week lesson in our series on honoring God with our money covers way to deal with debt and to build credit. Today we will look at steps to pay off debts and ensure that debt does not entrap.

Steps to Dealing with Debt

1) Determine in your heart to repay all your debts, as the Lord enables you.

Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.

2) Establish a payment schedule that includes all creditors.

Make a list of all debts from smallest to largest and/or according to interest rate.
Determine to first pay off either (1) the smallest debt or (2) the debt with the highest rate of interest.
Make minimum payments on all debts but the one to be paid off first.
Allocate as much money as possible each month to paying off the debt being retired first.
When one debt is paid off, concentrate efforts on the next debt to be paid off.

3) Contact creditors and asks for a lower interest rate. Many lenders will lower the interest rate to avoid default.

4) Contact all creditors, honestly relate your problems, and arrange an equitable repayment plan.

5) Buy on a cash basis, and sacrifice your wants and desires until you are current. Allow God to meet your needs without taking on more debt.

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him

6) Do not cosign for another person unless you are able and willing to pay off the debt if he/she cannot do so.

Proverbs 22:26-27 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

7) Do not count on future raises to pay for today’s expenses.

James 4:13-15 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

If you are dealing with overwhelming debt, you may need to seek assistance from a debt counselor. Also seek help from the One who supplies all of our needs. God wants to help you and is waiting for you to bring your burdens to Him. Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Please feel free your tips for dealing with debt.

Honoring God With Our Money: Practical Money-Management Tips (Part 3)

This week’s lesson on honoring God with money focused on practical money-management tips. These ideas have been culled from books, magazine articles, and internet sites, including Crown Financial Ministries and Christian Financial Concepts.

Today’s tips focus on ways to save on vacations and recreation, gift-giving, as well as general savings tips.

Saving on Vacations and Recreation:

Take a stay-cation. Take days trips to sites of interest in your general locale, go on picnics, visit museums, etc.
Consider a camping vacation to avoid motel and food expenses. Christian friends can pool the expenses of camping items.
Use Netflix or Redbox instead of going to the movies. Also, saves on popcorn and soda.
Have family games nights.
To reduce expenses and increase fellowship, consider taking vacation trips with two or more families
If flying, use the least expensive coach fare (i.e., late night or early morning usually saves 10 percent to 20 percent).
Check out books and movies from the library.

Ways to Save on Gift-Giving:

Shop ahead for birthdays and anniversaries. Look for sales.
Make gifts. Learn new skills, such as sewing and knitting.
If your family is large, draw names. Or only buy Christmas gifts for young children and immediate family members.
Help children earn money to shop for gifts.
Consider sending cards rather than gifts.

General:

Look for things you need on Craigslist.
Take unwanted items to consignment stores.
Have ‘planned’ leftovers for lunches and dinners on busy nights.
Use your curtains and/or blinds to hold in heat in the winter and keep out heat in the summer.
Wash clothes in cool or cold water. Washing in cold water rather than hot water saves 60 cents per load.
Don’t buy bottled water or $3 cups of coffee.
Hang clothes out to dry.
Cut out or reduce cable expenses.
Reduce cell phone expenses. Consider eliminating your land line.
Down pay for music downloads—burn CDs at the library
Eliminate magazine subscriptions and look for articles online.
Dishwashers save more water than hand washing dishes.
Take reusable bags when you go shopping.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Frame your own photos and art work to hang on the wall.
When ordering online, look for free shipping.
Don’t spend change. Put it in a jar and cash it in at the end of the year.
Put half of birthday money/gifts in savings.

Will your family be taking a ‘stay-cation’ this year? What fun activities do you have planned?

What other tips do you have for saving money?

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