Proverbs 10:19, “Where there is an excess of words, there is a multitude of sin.”
I believe that sometimes we feel like the more words we use when we pray, and the longer the prayer, the more God will listen. This is not true. For me personally, three words prayed to God were the beginning of Big Oak Ranch.
One day, my dad took me to meet the owner of a 120 acre farm that is now Big Oak Boys’ Ranch. The owner was quite clear that he did not want the Ranch on his property and gave me 48 hours to raise $45,000. He thought that was going to be out of reach. But because of God using two good friends who believed in my vision of what the Ranch could be, we were able to purchase the land within his time frame. That was the spring of 1974. I was 23 years old. All I had to my name was my car, my clothes and some used furniture. Right before making the land purchase, I sat in my car in the driveway of that land owner’s home and simply said, “Lord, I’m willing.”
Since that time, and to this very day, I have embarrassed God more than I have pleased Him. But thankfully, he does not keep a check and balance system where our good deeds must out number our bad ones. It really boils down to those three words, “Lord I’m willing.”
This Christmas season and all year long, I encourage you to talk to God- let Him know you are willing and watch Him work.
-John Croyle
Executive Director, Big Oak Ranch
Author, Who You Are/ Defying the Circumstances that Define Us, Bringing Out the Winner in Your Child, The Two Minute Drill to Manhood and Raising a Princess
www.bigoak.org
