Dr. Ray Pritchard Christian Blog and Commentary

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Word of Life, Day 1

  • Dr. Ray Pritchard
    Dr. Ray Pritchard is the president of Keep Believing Ministries, an Internet-based ministry serving Christians in 225 countries. He is the author of 29 books, including Stealth Attack, Fire and Rain,… More
  • Updated Jun 24, 2007

I am writing this note from Word of Life Inn in Schroon Lake, New York, high in the Adirondack Mountains. I arrived here last night for the opening week of the summer camp season. This morning was picture postcard perfect–blue skies, emerald green forests, a few wispy clouds, light breeze, and calm water on the lake. It is for days like this that people come to the Adirondacks on vacation. I have already spoken twice–this morning to the summer counselors and tonight at the Inn. Tomorrow I begin my main speaking schedule. Word of Life uses two guest speakers each week. I’m teamed this week with John Bouquet, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Savannah, Ohio. He will be speaking on Colossians and I’ll be doing a series on spiritual warfare. We generally don’t get to hear each other preach because we speak at the same time in different locations each morning. I speak at the Inn at 9:30 and at the Campground (9 miles south) at 11:15 AM. John starts at the Campground and goes to the Inn so we will pass each other on the road. There are evening services but those are handled by Word of Life staff.

I’ve already seen a number of friends since arriving late last night–Leander Chute and his wife, Ron Stansbury, George Theis, Joe and Melva Jordan, Larry and Cindi Bollback, Barb King, Dr. Ersig and his wife, Wayne and Ruthie Lewis, Cindy Baker, Mike and Fran Van Bruggen, Elizabeth Nelson, Ryan and Melissa Williamson, Harry and Millie Bollback, Mike Bush, Mike Calhoun, Steve Bowen, Don Lough, Georg and Patricia Rupprecht, and Bill and Irene from our Alaskan cruise.

One other note. To get here I flew from Birmingham to Baltimore to Albany. While in the Baltimore airport, I called Marlene to say hi. When I finished the call, a woman next to me said, “I heard you preach on praying with expectancy.” That startled me so I said, “You know me?” “I heard you preach on praying with expectancy at Word of Life. My husband and I have been married for fifteen years and we’ve been trying to get pregnant for eight years.” Then she patted her tummy and said, “I’m now three-and-a-half months pregnant.” Turns out she heard me speak at a conference at the Inn last October and decided to keep on praying for a baby. Now God has answered her prayers. The doctor says everything looks good so far. I wished her God’s blessings for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.

“Chance encounters” like that are not really by chance at all. She was on her way back to her home in Albany from a business trip to Texas. I “happened” to stand next to her and she “happened” to overhear my phone call because God willed it so. I come to Word of Life hoping to encourage others and the Lord used her to encourage me in the Baltimore airport.

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.