“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psalm 37:5).
Pat Robertson who on June 8th, 2023, passed away “full of years” at 93 was an evangelist who used broadcasting as a tool to further the Gospel of Christ. Born to a privileged family of a US Senator, Willis Robertson, he led a carefree youthful life full of alcohol binges and wild girl chases. After serving in the US Army in South Korea he joined Yale Law School. It is here that he met his future wife, Adelia Elmer, a nursing student. They married in 1954.
An entrepreneur at heart soon after becoming a lawyer he formed a partnership that quickly became profitable. However, though successful on the inside, he found himself restless and unfullfillled, seeking the deeper purpose of life. One day, somewhere in 1956, through the ministry of Cornelius Vanderbraggen he received Jesus as a personal saviour
That decision was a turning point. Pat quit his business partnership and entered New York Theological Seminary where he graduated with a Masters degree in Divinity. Ordained as a Baptist minister he became a market place minister. One day he noticed a nearly bunkrupt TV station. Though the seller wanted $300,000, Pat had only $37,000, which he fundraised from friends. Miraculously the seller accepted the offer and in 1961 Christian Broadcasting Network was born.
It later birthed 700 TV club, after 700 partners, pledged to support a Christian breakfast show for $10 a month. Pat would co host it for over 50 years! Eventually it would go on to share the Gospel in over 200 countries in 70 languages.
Pat was blessed with many gifts which he used to further the Gospel. He took an interest how secularists had dominated the religious space in US, leading him to founding the Christian Coalition that revived Christian values in American politics. He started, Operation Blessing, a relief and developmemt organization. Perhaps, the culmination of his work was to start Regent University, which now enrolls over 10,000 students.
In 2022 Adelia, his wife of 68 years, passed on. Together they had four children and Pat has now joined her, a year later. Years back, while being converted, Venderbraggen impressed upon Pat Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths"! Pat lived by that verse, all through and, the results, speak for themselves.
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, by trusting in you completely, you can do amazing things through your servants, and today I pray to trust you completely and wholeheartedly , this I pray in Jesus’s name!
Related upcoming events
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17/05/2024 - 18/05/2024 All day“And I in righteousness I shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Psalm 17:15)
One of the defining aspects we see in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ is that He began the day with prayer. “Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). As he was always surrounded by crowds and after such a busy day before of preaching and engaging the Pharisees in debates this must have been a therapeutic moment for Christ when he would have some good time to himself.
But there was also more. For Jesus being away in a secluded place would also mean a chance to pour out His heart to God, meditate in quietness, plan for the day ahead and listen to the Father. Jesus must have looked up to this moment every day knowing its benefits. Conversations with His Father must have been real and intimate, bringing a certain soothing and uplifting of His spirit. You do not wake up and stick to something on a daily basis that is a drag – this must have been his best time of the day!
Martin Luther the leader of the protestant reformation is reputed to once have said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Here is the point. In the olden days before the arrival of locomotive transport those who were setting out for a long journey on foot had to start early with the first cock crow before the punishing sun came out. One of the things they had to start with also was a good meal, which was fuel needed to give them energy through the long walk to their destiny.
There are no rules about waking up to pray as first thing- or even saying prayer at a defined hour of the day. God is everywhere and ever with us. He is accessible at any time of the day. But there is something special about prioritizing our lives that the first thing we do is to talk to God. Just like the early traveller we need fuel, for the long day ahead!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a joy and privilege to make time at the start of any day, talk and hear from you, for the power I need through the day, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
