There are a couple of verses in the Bible mentioning that Jesus is praying for us in heaven. Jesus is pleading on behalf of all those who have put their trust in Him for their salvation. 1 John 2:1 adds that “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins.” 

Salvation can be found in Jesus alone: He is the one who died to atone for sins. He took our sins upon him and exchanged them with His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect and complete. So why does the Bible tell us that Jesus is still interceding for us?

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In 2015, my reasonably “normal” life came to a sudden halt when I found myself unable to move as usual. I was 23, married, and a mom to a busy baby boy. That morning my right foot did not want to step on the brake properly when I was driving. My foot refused to remain still when I moved it from the petrol- to the brake pedal. I knew that something was seriously wrong. 

A MRI scan showed massive lesions in my brain, and the lumbar puncture confirmed that antibodies were present. The antibodies were attacking the myelin sheaths covering the nerves in my brain. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I would be in a wheelchair within eight to ten years.

The war was me against me. The cause, unknown, and the solutions were experimental and debilitating – and really expensive. We felt drained and confused. How could the Creator not have the answer? This question was the beginning of the incredible revelations and freedom to come…

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After seeing the images out of Kabul in recent weeks, Maajid Nawaz, a former radical Muslim, said, “Barefoot Taliban conquered a palace. They believed in something and fought for nothing. I have lived with men like this in prison. It is difficult to describe just how seriously they take their cause. There is a lesson here for us in the West, if we are humble enough to see it.”

We hear the terror from Afghan women who now wonder what the lives of their daughters will be like, worried that 20 years of progress in women’s rights have disappeared overnight. We see the desperation of men so afraid of what might come next that they’re literally clinging to the wheels of American aircrafts as they depart. Yet, we struggle to have a category for what they actually fear. Many Westerners don’t have the categories to understand the realities of Islamic fundamentalism…

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Insomnia is the habitual inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep. Insomnia affects most people from time to time, but for others it is a way of life. Biological, psychological, and situational factors can all play a part in whether or not we have trouble falling asleep. The Bible often equates insomnia with worry (Dan 2:1), anxiety, or sin (Prov 4:14-16). The insomnia itself is not the sin, but the reasons for it may be.

The Bible does not address insomnia directly, but gives answers for some of the factors that can cause it. When we identify what is causing insomnia, we can then apply God’s solutions…

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