New Year's Prayer

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. As we step into 2026, I want to talk with you about prayer—not as a ritual or a religious duty, but as the incredible gift God has given us to connect with Him in every season of life.

Pastor Phil Ware writes something that resonates deeply with me: "When I think about prayer, I am reminded that God is faithful to us through all the seasons of our lives. He isn't a fair-weather God. He is an all-season Father."

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, many of us carry the weight of what 2025 held—both its joys and its sorrows. Some of you are stepping into 2026 with excitement and hope. Others are entering it exhausted, wounded, uncertain. But here's the beautiful truth I want us to grasp together: Our God is an all-season Father, and He has given us the gift of all-season prayer.

[The all-season Father - His constant presence]

Ware continues: "He is with us when life feels alive and full of color. He loves us when our lives feel drab and gray. He loves when life looms dark and foreboding. Our God is an all-season Father!"

Think about the seasons you've walked through. Maybe 2025 was a springtime season for you—full of new beginnings, fresh starts, growth, and hope. Or maybe it was a summer season—abundant, joyful, warm, thriving. Perhaps it was an autumn season—a time of transition, of things falling away, of preparation for what's next. Or maybe it was a winter season—cold, dark, difficult, a time when you felt that life itself was dormant or dying.

Whatever season you experienced, God was there. He wasn't absent during the winter and only present during the summer. He didn't love you more in the spring and less in the autumn. He is the all-season Father who never changes, whose love never wavers, whose presence never diminishes.

[God's knowledge and love - from conception to now]

Ware writes: "The Almighty, the Creator, our Abba Father, has known us, loved us, and been with us every moment from our conception through every up and down of life, and is still with us until now."

This is the truth of Psalm 139. Let me read verses 1-4: "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely."

God has known you from the very beginning—from the moment you were conceived in your mother's womb. He has been with you through every moment of your life. Every joy you've experienced, He celebrated with you. Every sorrow you've endured, He grieved with you. Every triumph, every failure, every mountain top, every valley—He has been there through all of it.

And He's still with you now, as you stand at the beginning of 2026. Whatever you're facing, whatever you're feeling, whatever lies ahead—your all-season Father is with you.

[Nothing can separate us - the promise]

Ware reminds us: "As his children by grace through faith, our Father has promised that nothing can separate us from his love for us in Christ Jesus."

This is the glorious promise of Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Think about what that means! Nothing in 2025 separated you from God's love. And nothing in 2026 will separate you from His love. Not failure. Not sin. Not disappointment. Not suffering. Not doubt. Not circumstances. Not other people's actions. Not your own weaknesses. Nothing!

[He will never leave - the guarantee]

Hebrews 13:5-6 promises: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Ware writes: "He will never leave us or forsake us, no matter how we may feel or what we deserve at any given moment, or what others around us do to us."

This is crucial, especially as we enter a new year. You may feel like God has left you. You may feel unworthy of His presence. You may have people in your life who have abandoned you. But feelings aren't facts, and human behavior isn't God's behavior. God promises—He will never leave you. Never forsake you. Not in 2026. Not ever.

[No distinctions - He loves all His children equally]

Ware continues: "He doesn't care if we are young or old, tired or energetic, male or female, rich or poor, light or dark-skinned, upper class, or homeless."

This is the truth of Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." God doesn't have favorite children based on external factors. He doesn't love the successful more than the struggling. He doesn't hear the prayers of the wealthy more attentively than the prayers of the poor. He doesn't care about your age, your energy level, your ethnicity, your socioeconomic status.

If you are His child through faith in Jesus Christ, He loves you completely, hears you fully, and is with you always. Period.

[The ever-listening Father - prayer's incredible gift]

This brings us to the heart of what I want us to understand about prayer in this new year. Ware writes: "Our God is the all-season and ever-listening Father. He is waiting for us to call out to him as our Abba Father."

Romans 8:15 tells us: "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"

"Abba" is an Aramaic term of endearment—like "Daddy" or "Papa." It's intimate, personal, affectionate. God isn't a distant deity waiting to be formally addressed with religious language. He's our Abba Father who delights in hearing from His children!

[When words fail - the Spirit intercedes]

But here's where it gets even more beautiful. Ware continues: "Because we are his children and filled with his Spirit, he listens to the groanings of our emotions too deep for words and hears them with love because of the intercession of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 8:26-27 promises: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God."

Have you ever been in a place where you didn't even know how to pray? Where your pain was too deep for words? Where your confusion was too great to articulate? Where you could only groan or cry or sit in silence? The Holy Spirit intercedes for you in those moments! God hears not just your words, but the groanings of your heart. He understands what you cannot express.

[All-season prayer - the incredible gift]

This is why Ware declares: "That means our Father in heaven has given us the incredible gift of being able to pray in all seasons of life! Real... heart-level... in the trenches of despair and on the mountain tops of joy kinds of praying."

You don't have to wait until you're in a good spiritual place to pray. You don't have to clean yourself up first. You don't have to find the right words or the right formula. You can pray in the winter of despair and in the summer of joy. You can pray when life is colorful and when it's gray. You can pray with eloquent words and with wordless groans. You can pray on the mountaintop and in the valley.

Because prayer isn't about our performance—it's about our relationship with an all-season Father who is always listening, always loving, always present.

[No place or time excluded - God is always available]

Ware writes: "There is no place or time or situation that God is not available to hear your words and feel your heart's emotions in prayer."

Think about that! There is no place too dark for prayer. No situation too desperate. No emotion too raw. No sin too shameful. No confusion too great. No joy too small. No gratitude too simple. God is available to hear you—right now, right where you are, exactly as you are.

[After a difficult year - entering with new hope]

Ware, writing after a particularly difficult year, says: "After a year like 2023, and now dedicating ourselves to prayer for this New Year with New Hope, this is good news!"

Some of you had a difficult 2025. Maybe you lost someone you loved. Maybe you faced health challenges, financial crises, relationship breakdowns. Maybe your faith was tested in ways you never imagined. Maybe you're entering 2026 exhausted, wounded, uncertain.

If that's you, hear this good news: "The Father wants us to know he is listening, standing on tiptoe to hear from our hearts as we enter into this New Year in the shattered mess of our previous one."

God isn't disgusted by your mess. He's standing on tiptoe—leaning in—eager to hear from you! He's not waiting for you to get it together first. He's waiting for you to come to Him exactly as you are, in whatever season you're in, with whatever words or groans you can muster.

[The gift and the Giver - why we can pray]

Ware concludes: "We have been given the gift of all-season prayer because we have a loving Father who is the all-season, grace-giving, always-listening God who loves us."

The gift is all-season prayer. But the reason for the gift is the Giver—our all-season, grace-giving, always-listening Father who loves us. Prayer isn't a technique we master. It's a relationship we enjoy. And the relationship is secure because God is faithful, loving, and unchanging.

[A New Year's prayer - entering 2026 together]

So as we enter 2026, let me lead us in a New Year's prayer—not a formal, religious prayer, but a heart-level conversation with our Abba Father.

Abba Father, we come to You at the beginning of 2026, and we come exactly as we are. Some of us are excited about this new year. Some of us are exhausted and hesitant. Some of us are hopeful. Some of us are hurting. But all of us are Your children, and we thank You that You are our all-season Father.

Thank You that You were with us through every moment of 2025—the joys and the sorrows, the victories and the defeats, the colorful seasons and the gray ones. Thank You that nothing in 2025 separated us from Your love in Christ Jesus. And thank You that nothing in 2026 will separate us either.

Lord, as we look toward this new year, we don't know what we'll face. We don't know what seasons are ahead. But we know You'll be with us through all of them. Help us to remember that You are the all-season Father—present in spring and summer, autumn and winter. Present in joy and sorrow. Present in clarity and confusion.

[Continued prayer - specific needs]

For those of us who are entering 2026 exhausted from 2025, we pray for rest and renewal. For those facing health challenges, we pray for healing and strength. For those in financial difficulty, we pray for provision and wisdom. For those whose relationships are broken, we pray for restoration or peace. For those grieving losses, we pray for comfort and hope.

For those who don't know what their calling is in this new year, we pray for clarity and direction. For those preparing for major transitions—like our daughter heading to Korea for YWAM training—we pray for courage and trust. For those developing new ministries or businesses, we pray for wisdom and perseverance. For those who feel stuck or stagnant, we pray for breakthrough and fresh wind of Your Spirit.

[Prayer for the persecuted church]

Abba Father, we also lift up our brothers and sisters around the world who are entering 2026 under persecution. The believers in North Korea who must hide their faith. The Christians in Nigeria who face violence. The Afghan believers practicing faith in secret. The Chinese church facing government pressure. The Iranian converts risking everything.

Lord, be their all-season Father in ways that we who live in freedom can barely comprehend. Give them strength for winter seasons that seem to never end. Give them hope in darkness. Give them courage when threatened. And use their faithful prayers—their groans and cries and whispered worship—to advance Your kingdom in the hardest places.

[Prayer for missions and the nations]

And Father, as we think about the nations, we pray for the 7,401 unreached people groups representing 3.4 billion individuals who have little to no access to the Gospel. Raise up missionaries in 2026! Call young people to go. Mobilize churches to send. Provide resources for those serving in hard places.

We pray specifically for Korea—both North and South. For the hidden church in the North suffering under brutal persecution, and for the vibrant church in the South sending missionaries worldwide. We pray for Nigeria, that the violence would stop and the church would grow stronger. We pray for Mexico, that revival would sweep the nation. We pray for Egypt, that the ancient Coptic Church would experience renewal.

Let me pray

As you step into 2026, I want to encourage you: Don't neglect the gift of all-season prayer. Whatever season you find yourself in this year—spring, summer, autumn, or winter—talk to your Abba Father. He's listening. He's leaning in. He's standing on tiptoe to hear from you.

And remember: You have an all-season Father who loves you completely, hears you fully, and is with you always. Not just in 2026, but through every season of your life, until the day you see His face and your eternal spring begins.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and keep your heart connected to your all-season Father through all-season prayer!

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The Bible Recap: Your Guide to Reading Through God's Word in 2026

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Happy (almost) New Year! As we step into 2026, I want to share something that has helped my Bible reading—and I believe it can help yours too.

How many of us have started a "read the Bible in a year" plan with the best intentions, only to get bogged down somewhere in Leviticus or lost in the genealogies? Or maybe you've closed your Bible after reading and thought, "What did I just read?" I know I have.

Friends, I want to tell you about a resource that's helping millions of people—including me and my sister—actually read through the entire Bible and understand it. It's called "The Bible Recap" by Tara-Leigh Cobble.

My sister and I did this plan together last year using the Bible app, and I cannot tell you how much I learned. Tara-Leigh's commentary is spot on. She helps you see the big picture of Scripture, connects the dots between the Old and New Testaments, and every single day points you back to the character of God.

And here's what I love—this isn't just for women. It's for everyone. In fact, John Burke, the author of "Imagine Heaven," recently recommended this to Shawn Ryan in an interview. Shawn was talking about how the Bible can be challenging to read as a new Christian, and Burke immediately pointed him to The Bible Recap.

That tells you something. When a seasoned Christian believer and author recommends a resource to help someone read Scripture, you should pay attention.

So what exactly is The Bible Recap? Let me break it down for you.

It's a 365-day journey through the Bible in chronological order. That means you're reading the story of Scripture as it actually happened—not just Genesis to Revelation, but following the timeline of biblical history. This alone is incredibly helpful because you see how everything connects.

Each day, you read (or you can listen to) your assigned Scripture passages—and Tara-Leigh provides a short, two-page recap that takes about five minutes to read. In that recap, she:

• Summarizes what you just read in plain language
• Explains confusing parts or cultural context
• Connects it to the bigger story of the Bible
• And most importantly—points you to God's character and faithfulness

Friends, that last part is what sets this apart. Every single day, Tara-Leigh asks, "What did we learn about God's character today?" She's training you to read Scripture not just for information, but for transformation. Not just to know about God, but to know God.

Here's what makes this so accessible: you can do it multiple ways. You can buy the physical book. You can get the audiobook. Or—and this is huge—you can listen to the entire thing completely free on the Bible app as one of their reading plans.

That means there's no barrier. No excuse. If you have a smartphone, you can do this. The app will send you daily reminders. You can listen while you're driving, exercising, doing dishes—whatever works for your schedule.

My sister and I used the Bible together and would leave comments for each other. So we journeyed through God’s Word together that year. This shared journey deepened both our understanding of Scripture and our relationship.

And I'm going to do it again in 2026. Because here's the thing—the Bible is not a book you read once and you're done. It's living and active. Every time you read it, the Holy Spirit reveals something new. Something you missed before. Something that speaks directly to where you are right now.

Whether you're brand-new to the Bible or you've been reading it your whole life, The Bible Recap meets you where you are. Tara-Leigh doesn't talk down to you, but she also doesn't assume you know everything. She's like a trusted guide walking beside you, helping you see what you might miss on your own.

Michael Dean McDonald from The Bible Project said this: "Tara-Leigh gets me excited to read the Bible. Period. I have found a trusted guide to walk me into deeper understanding of the Scriptures."

That's exactly right. She gets you excited to read the Bible. And that's what we need, isn't it? Not just discipline, but delight. Not just duty, but desire.

Now, let me share three reasons why I'm encouraging everyone listening to commit to reading through the Bible in 2026—with The Bible Recap as your companion.

First, you'll see the Bible as one unified story pointing to Jesus. Too often we read the Bible in fragments—a verse here, a chapter there. But when you read it straight through in chronological order, you see how it all fits together. You see types and shadows of Christ in the Old Testament. You see prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament. You see God's plan of redemption unfolding from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible Recap helps you connect those dots every single day.

Second, you'll develop a consistent habit of being in God's Word. Friends, we make time for what we value. We scroll social media. We watch our shows. We check the news. But do we spend even 20 minutes a day in Scripture? The beauty of a structured plan is that it takes the guesswork out. You know exactly what to read each day. And when you pair it with The Bible Recap's short summaries, it becomes manageable even on your busiest days. Consistency builds intimacy with God.

Third, you'll discover that God's Word is living and relevant to your life right now. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." When you're in the Word daily, God speaks to your specific situations, struggles, and questions. What seemed like an ancient text becomes your daily bread. The Bible Recap helps you see how these ancient stories apply to your modern life.

So let me ask you some questions. What would it mean for your faith if you read the entire Bible this year? How would your prayer life change if you were soaking in Scripture every single day? What would it do for your witness if you actually understood the big story of the Bible—from creation to the cross to the new creation?

And if you've tried before and quit, what if this is the year you finally finish? What if having Tara-Leigh as your guide makes all the difference?

Here's my challenge to you as we start 2026: Commit to reading through the Bible this year. Download the Bible app right now and search for "The Bible Recap" plan. Or order the book. Grab a friend or family member and do it together—it's so much better when you have someone to share the journey with.

Start on January 1st and don't look back. When you get to those tough books—and you will—don't quit. Let Tara-Leigh help you push through. When genealogies feel boring, remember there's a reason they're there. God knows every name…including yours. When laws seem irrelevant, trust that God included them for a purpose.

And here's the beautiful thing: by this time next year, you will have read the entire Word of God. Every book. Every chapter. Every verse. You'll know the story. You'll know your God better. And you'll be changed.

Let me pray…

Thank you for joining me today. I'm genuinely excited about this. Reading through the Bible with The Bible Recap is one of the best decisions I made for my spiritual life, and I'm doing it again in 2026. I hope you'll join me.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the nations, stay rooted in God's Word, and remember—the Bible is not just a book to read, it's the living Word of God that transforms us as we encounter Him in its pages.

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Thus Far: Reflecting on God's Faithfulness in 2025

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. As we come to the end of 2025, I want to take a different approach today. Instead of looking at a specific missionary story or a particular nation, I want us to look back together at this year—at how God has led us, provided for us, sustained us through everything we've faced.

There's a beautiful phrase in 1 Samuel 7:12 that captures what I want us to reflect on today: "Thus far the Lord has helped us." The prophet Samuel set up a stone monument and called it Ebenezer—which means "stone of help"—to commemorate how God had delivered Israel from their enemies. And he declared: "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

As I think about this phrase and about 2025, I'm reminded of some powerful reflections from Charles Spurgeon and L.B. Cowman that help us understand what "thus far" really means. Let me share them with you today.

[Looking backward - the avenue of God's faithfulness]

Spurgeon wrote that the words "thus far" are like a hand pointing backward toward the past. Whether you've walked with God for twenty years or seventy, you can say: "Thus far the Lord has helped us!" Through poverty and through wealth, through sickness and through health, at home and abroad, in honor and in dishonor, in difficulties and in joy, in trial and in triumph—"thus far the Lord has helped us!"

Think about your own year. Think about 2025. What did you face? For our family, this year has been filled with transitions and preparations. Jeff and I have been developing content for Homeschool to Launch, helping families prepare their teens for life after graduation. I’ve been creating podcast episodes for Nations 4 Jesus, learning about persecuted Christians around the world and growing in our passion for missions. Our youngest daughter has been preparing to go to South Korea for YWAM training in March. Our second oldest daughter moved home after two years in Colorado. Each member of our family had their joys and some sorrows. Through all of it—the busy seasons and the quiet ones, the challenges and the victories—thus far the Lord has helped us.

[The avenue of trees - counting mercies]

Spurgeon gives us this beautiful image: "We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from one end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves." He invites us to look down the long avenue of our years, seeing the green boughs of mercy overhead and the strong pillars of God's lovingkindness and faithfulness that have supported our joys.

Take a moment right now and do that. Look back over 2025 as if you're looking down an avenue of trees. What are the "green boughs of mercy" you see overhead? What provisions did God make that you didn't even realize you needed? What prayers did He answer? What dangers did He protect you from? What strength did He give when you thought you couldn't go on?

Spurgeon asks: "Are there any birds in the branches singing?" And he answers: "Surely, there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received 'thus far.'" What songs of mercy can you hear as you look back? Maybe it's healing received, provision given, relationships restored, faith strengthened, clarity provided, peace experienced.

[This year's specific mercies - our Nations 4 Jesus journey]

For me, as I look back on this year through the podcast episodes we've created, I see God's faithfulness in specific ways. We've studied the persecuted church—believers in Nigeria facing violence, North Korean Christians in labor camps, the hidden church in Afghanistan. And through learning about their suffering, God has deepened our own faith and expanded our vision for His global purposes.

We've learned about the Great Awakenings and how God has moved powerfully throughout American history. We've seen the campus revivals happening right now in 2025, with thousands of college students encountering Jesus. We've explored women in missions—from Mary Slessor to Amy Carmichael to modern-day female missionaries. We've learned about Squanto's story and how God used his suffering to save the Pilgrims. We've studied Saint Lucia and Swedish Christianity. Each episode, each story, each testimony has been a "green bough of mercy"—God teaching us, challenging us, growing us.

[Looking forward - the journey continues]

But Spurgeon reminds us that "thus far" doesn't just point backward—it also points forward. "For when a man gets up to a certain point, and writes 'thus far,' he is not yet at the end; there are still distances to be travelled."

As we stand at the end of 2025 looking toward 2026, we're not at the finish line yet. There are more trials ahead, and more joys. More temptations, and more triumphs. More prayers, and more answers. More toils, and more strength. More fights, and more victories. And eventually, for each of us, sickness, old age, and death will come.

But even that's not the end! Spurgeon continues: "Is it over now? No! there is more yet—awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, seeing the face of Jesus, the fellowship of other believers, the glory of God, the fullness of eternity, the infinite joy."

[The Lord who helped us will continue - the promise]

So as we look toward the unknown future of 2026, we can "be strong and take heart" as Psalm 27:14 encourages us, lifting our voices in praise and thanksgiving. Because as Spurgeon beautifully puts it: "The Lord who thus far has helped you, will help you all your journey through."

That's the promise we stand on! The same God who helped us through 2025 will help us through 2026. The same God who provided, protected, guided, and strengthened us this year will do the same next year. His character doesn't change. His faithfulness doesn't waver. His love doesn't diminish.

[The Alpine shepherds - encouraging one another]

L.B. Cowman shares a beautiful custom of Alpine shepherds that illustrates how we should end this year. These shepherds have a tradition of ending each day by singing to one another an evening farewell. As dusk falls and they gather their flocks to lead them down the mountain paths, they sing: "Thus far the Lord has helped us. Let us praise His name!"

The crystalline mountain air carries their song long distances. And then, with sweet courtesy, they sing to one another a friendly farewell: "Goodnight! Goodnight!" The words are taken up by the echoes, bouncing from mountainside to mountainside, reverberating sweetly and softly until the music dies away in the distance.

[Calling to one another through darkness]

Cowman writes: "So let us call out to one another through the darkness, till the gloom becomes vocal with many voices, encouraging God's weary travelers."

That's what I want to do today. To all of you listening—whether 2025 was a year of triumph or trial, joy or sorrow, growth or struggle—I want to call out: "Thus far the Lord has helped us! Let us praise His name!"

Maybe 2025 was the hardest year of your life. Maybe you lost someone you loved. Maybe you faced health challenges, financial difficulties, relationship breakdowns. Maybe your faith was tested in ways it never had been before. If that's you, hear me calling to you across whatever darkness you're in: "Thus far the Lord has helped you! He will help you all your journey through!"

Or maybe 2025 was a year of blessing and breakthrough. Maybe you saw prayers answered, dreams fulfilled, relationships restored. If that's you, join me in calling out to others who are still in the darkness: "Thus far the Lord has helped us! Let us praise His name!"

[The gathering echoes - a storm of hallelujahs]

Cowman continues: "Let the echoes gather till a very storm of Hallelujahs breaks in thundering waves around the sapphire throne." Can you imagine it? Believers all over the world, in every nation, every tongue, every tribe—all declaring together: "Thus far the Lord has helped us!"

The persecuted Christians in North Korea, singing quietly in their hearts where no one can hear. The Nigerian believers who lost loved ones to Boko Haram, still praising God. The Afghan Christians practicing faith in absolute secrecy, declaring in whispered prayers: "Thus far You have helped us!" The campus revival students in America, lifting their voices: "Thus far You have helped us!" The Korean missionaries serving in Central Asia, the Brazilian missionaries in North Africa, the Nigerian missionaries across West Africa—all joining the chorus: "Thus far the Lord has helped us!"

And that chorus—those echoes gathering from every corner of the earth—becomes a storm of hallelujahs that breaks in thundering waves around God's throne.

[The morning breaks - our ultimate hope]

And here's where this reflection ultimately leads us. Cowman writes: "And then as the morning breaks we shall find ourselves at the shore of the sea of glass, crying, with the redeemed host, 'Blessing and honor and glory be unto Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever!'"

She's pointing us to Revelation 4:6 and 5:13—to that moment when our journey through this world is complete, when the morning of eternity breaks, when we stand before God's throne with the redeemed from every nation. And then our song of "thus far the Lord has helped us" will become an eternal song: "Blessing and honor and glory be unto Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever!"

Revelation 19:3 tells us: "And again they shouted: 'Hallelujah!'" That will be our eternal refrain—praising God not just for helping us "thus far," but for bringing us all the way home.

[Personal application - three ways to respond]

So how should we respond as we stand at the end of 2025? Let me suggest three things. First, set up your own "Ebenezer"—your own stone of remembrance. Write down the specific ways God helped you in 2025. Don't let them be forgotten! Create a record you can look back on when 2026 gets hard and you need to remember: "Thus far the Lord has helped me."

Second, encourage someone else who's still in darkness. Be like those Alpine shepherds calling out through the crystalline mountain air: "Thus far the Lord has helped us! Let us praise His name!" Who in your life needs to hear that right now? Who's discouraged, struggling, wondering if God has abandoned them? Call out to them! Share your testimony of God's faithfulness. Sing your "Goodnight!" of encouragement until the echoes carry hope to weary travelers.

Third, face 2026 with confident faith. You don't know what next year holds. None of us do. You may be facing job changes, health challenges, relationship difficulties, or opportunities you can't yet see. But here's what we do know: "The Lord who thus far has helped you, will help you all your journey through."

[The ultimate "thus far" - salvation in Christ]

But I need to say something crucial: All of this—every reflection on God's faithfulness, every testimony of His help "thus far"—assumes that you are His child through faith in Jesus Christ. The greatest "thus far" isn't about the circumstances of life. It's about salvation.

If you've placed your faith in Jesus—if you've confessed your sins, trusted in His death and resurrection for your salvation, and committed your life to following Him—then you can say with absolute confidence: "Thus far the Lord has saved me, kept me, and is leading me to eternal life." That's the ultimate Ebenezer—the ultimate stone of help—because Jesus Himself is our helper, our Savior, our Lord.

But if you've never done that, if you're not sure you're God's child, then let me invite you to make 2026 the year when you can begin saying "thus far the Lord has helped me." Confess your sins to God. Believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and rose from the dead. Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. And then you can begin your own journey of testifying to God's faithfulness.

[Closing challenge and prayer]

As we close 2025 and prepare for 2026, I want to encourage you with one final thought from Cowman: "This my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way." That's our testimony now, and that will be our testimony forever. Jesus led me all the way—through 2025, through 2026, through every year until I see His face. And then, standing before His throne, the song continues through endless ages: "Jesus led me all the way."

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me in 2025 for these Nations 4 Jesus episodes. It's been a journey of learning and growing together. Please join my in the new year…there’s so much more God has to show us! 

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and declare with confidence: "Thus far the Lord has helped us, and He will help us all our journey through!"

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