I recently finished an old John Grisham novel, and one scene has stayed with me. A woman of deep faith had spent time getting to know a young man who was new to her town. One day she gently asked him three questions: Do you pray? Do you go to church? Do you ever read the Bible?
His answer to all three was no.
She told him her favorite verse was “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). “I can’t judge you,” she said, “but I do have concerns about your salvation.”
That scene hit close to home. As a chaplain, I ask people every day whether they have a faith or religious background. Here in the South, I often hear something like, “Well, I prayed the prayer years ago. I don’t really go to church or read the Bible.” When I ask if they pray, they usually say, “Oh yes, sometimes.”
And I find myself wondering: if heaven is an everyday gathering of worship in the presence of God, why wouldn’t we want to begin that relationship now? Why wouldn’t we want to spend time with His people and in His Word while we’re still here, getting to know the One we hope to spend eternity with?
Scripture encourages us not to drift: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24–25).
At the same time, I know that going to church and reading the Bible isn’t the whole picture either. I recently watched the Netflix series Death of the Pastor’s Wife. She read her Bible, led worship, prayed, and was married to a pastor, yet she reached a place where she couldn’t see a way forward. That broke my heart, because it reminds me that faithful people can carry hidden pain, and that even believers sometimes struggle to see God’s provision in the dark.
Yet God’s Word holds a promise for exactly those moments: “God is faithful… with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes that way of escape comes through reaching out: to a friend, a pastor, a counselor, a chaplain.
I believe in God’s grace without limits. Deathbed salvations are real, and coming home to Jesus at any point in life is a beautiful thing. But I wrestle with the idea of a prayer prayed at six, twelve, or twenty, followed by a lifetime without another thought of Him. Faith was never meant to be a one-time transaction. It’s a relationship, one Jesus invites us to live in every day: “Abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4).
So today, my question for you is a gentle one: How is your relationship with God, not years ago, but right now?
If you want to get “right” with God or need to just ask for forgiveness for anything that has kept you away from being with Him, just talk to Him in prayer and ask for His love and mercy to bring you back to a relationship. Our walk with Christ is not about our works but more about our hearts toward Him and with Him.
If you need help or want prayer, email us DailyDisciples@gmail.com and we will help you with your questions or concerns. It’s totally confidential and will never be shared with anyone.
Bible Version for Scriptures use is ESV
