Finding Comfort in the Holy Spirit with Anne Graham Lotz

SPEAKER 03 : 0:00

Well, hello, everyone. I’m James Dobson, and you’re listening to Family Talk, a listener-supported ministry. In fact, thank you so much for being part of that support for James Dobson Family Institute.

SPEAKER 01 : 0:19

Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Roger Marsh, and today we’re continuing with part two of a powerful conversation featuring acclaimed author and evangelist Anne Graham Lotz and our own Dr. James Dobson. Now, if you’ve ever felt alone in your struggles or wondered where is God during life’s darkest moments, today’s program speaks directly to your heart. Despite facing tremendous personal challenges, including losing your husband, and her father, and almost losing her own life to cancer at the same time, Anne Graham Lotz discovered the Holy Spirit as her constant companion, providing comfort when nothing else could. The New York Times has recognized Anne Graham Lotz as one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. Today, she’ll be sharing practical insights about how the Holy Spirit serves as our advocate, intercessor, and confidant. Her book, Jesus in Me, reveals how to experience God’s comforting presence and guidance in your everyday life. So here now is Dr. James Dobson with his guest and Graham Lotz on today’s edition of Family Talk.

SPEAKER 03 : 1:30

You know, Ann, I can just envision the people listening to us who are widows. There must be thousands and tens of thousands of them. But it’s amazing to me how many places in the Scripture talk about how God loves and cares for the women who have lost their husbands.

SPEAKER 02 : 1:49

After my husband went to heaven, one of the things I did was do a word study on widows and all the promises that God gives to widows. And it really is precious. And I just encourage any widow that’s listening or widower to do the same thing, you know, just to study and see what God’s word has to say and then claim those promises for yourself.

SPEAKER 03 : 2:10

The Holy Spirit is referred to in the Scripture as the heavenly paraclete. That means, as I understand it, one who comes alongside of. Is that your understanding of that word?

SPEAKER 02 : 2:26

So the names of the Holy Spirit reveal something about his character, who he is. And he’s wonderful. So Paraclete would be one and the helper. And he has helped me so many, many times. But somehow his help and his strength and the peace that he gives over, for me anyway, balanced the grief and the pain. Yeah.

SPEAKER 03 : 2:48

You are a wonderful blessing to us. Are you regaining your strength? Is your vitality returning?

SPEAKER 02 : 2:56

It’s slow, but I’m working on it. So I don’t want to become impatient with myself, but it’s hard not to be.

SPEAKER 03 : 3:03

What surprised you about the third person of the Trinity as you wrote this book and studied the Scripture?

SPEAKER 02 : 3:12

You know, I’ll tell you, this is maybe a very simple thing. But in Ephesians, we’re told not to grieve the Holy Spirit. And that sort of stopped me because grief is a love word. You know, I grieve for my mother because I loved her. And I grieve for my husband because I loved him. And I grieve for my daddy because I loved him. And grief is a love word. So it stopped me because I thought that means the Holy Spirit loves me. And when I do the right thing, he rejoices. But when I do the wrong thing, he’s grieved because he loves me and he wants the best for me. And I had taught Dr. Dobson when I asked Jesus into my heart and then I learned about the Holy Spirit that he was sort of assigned to me, that the Father would say, all right, Holy Spirit, you go into Ann and And then he would work in my life, and then one day he would turn me over to the Father, and he would say, well, I’ve done the best I could with what I had, you know. But it’s not that way. He’s emotionally wrapped up in my life. He loves me. He’s committed to me. He wants the best for me. He wants to give me a fullness of joy and blessing. And it doesn’t mean I don’t have challenges, because I do, because the challenges make you strong. And it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t convict me, because he does. He doesn’t let me get by with anything. But… But he’s on my side, so to speak, you know, and he does it with a heart of love. So that was a new thought. That was a surprise. That was the sweetest blessing for me to discover that the Holy Spirit loves me as Jesus loves me and as God loves me.

SPEAKER 03 : 4:40

Maybe this question will be helpful to somebody. It may be off the wall for others. But I remember an old gospel hymn. I can’t even start at the beginning of it, and I wouldn’t try to sing it. But it says, and he walks with me and he talks with me. And he tells me I am his own, and the joy I share as we gather there none other has ever known. Is that the Holy Spirit we’re talking about?

SPEAKER 02 : 5:11

Yes, and that was my mother-in-law’s favorite hymn that was sung at her funeral. So when I hear that one, I come to the garden alone is the name of that hymn. And it is because we have that beautiful picture of Jesus with Adam and Eve in Genesis 2, walking and talking with them in the garden. And one day we’re going to have that experience. We’re going to go to heaven and we’re going to walk with the king down the streets of gold. And, you know, I don’t know to get better than that. But until then, we have the Holy Spirit who comes and lives inside of us. And he doesn’t speak to me in an audible voice, but he speaks to me through scripture. So when I read my Bible, in fact, I was concerned about coming out of this past year of being sort of sidelined, and it’s been a time of retreat for me. And to be honest, I’ve loved not having to pack and unpack and get on a plane and travel and all that kind of stuff, keep a schedule. And now I’m getting back into that. And I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to. And in my devotions two days ago, the Lord just said three times, He said, Anne, I will bless you and I will help you. And He said it again, repeated it three different times. And he said, I will bless you and I will help you. I will bless you. And I’ve just clung to that and believe that as I step out into ministry once again, that he’s going to bless me and that he’s going to help me. And that’s the Holy Spirit. That’s the way he speaks to me as I read my Bible. And that’s something I want to say to the widows or people who are listening that I have not let go of that time to meet with the Lord every day. So even going through the, sometimes on a day in my cancer treatments, I couldn’t get out of bed till 11 or 12 or, you know, you just, it really drains you. But I made time every day to spend time reading my Bible and praying about what I read and listening for the Lord to speak to me. And that’s the core of who I am. And I know that tapping into Him through prayer and Bible reading is what’s given me the strength to go through, not just somehow, as I like to say, but triumphantly, so that I’m not under the circumstances, I’m on top of them. And that’s only, only the Holy Spirit could do that. But it’s as I cling to Him and rely on Him and look to Him in prayer and through His Word, That he just gives me everything that I need.

SPEAKER 03 : 7:30

And I’ve told you in the last program during our telephone conversation that you’ve had such a great influence on my life and on Shirley’s life. You, in fact, succeeded her as chairman of the National Day of Prayer. And there’s been so many ways that our lives have intertwined with you and your family. I want to go back to a conversation that Shirley told me the two of you had some time ago and let you elaborate on it. Shirley was saying, Ann… Do you think the Lord is coming back quickly? Where do you think we are in his timetable? And you said to Shirley, he’s standing at the door even as we speak. Do you remember that conversation?

SPEAKER 02 : 8:19

I believe that. So it’s not hard for me to believe that I had that conversation with her, because I believe when we look at what’s happening in our world, you know, the alignment of nations, the new allies that are lining up, it’s all it’s the way that it will be at the very end of the age. And what Scripture tells and what Daniel prophesied and what the old Zechariah prophesied and then what we see in the book of Revelation prophesied. And it’s all, you know, some people say the world’s falling apart, but it’s really falling into place, isn’t it? You know, it’s just getting ready for the return of Jesus Christ. And can I just tell you, Dr. Dobson, one of the motives or the burdens I had for this book, Jesus in Me, is that I believe the rapture is going to happen at any time. And I believe, and I’m not dogmatic because nobody knows, but I think it will come before that seven-year period of Great Tribulation. And when that happens and you and I are caught up to be with Jesus, then that leaves the whole world without any believer who’s indwelt with the Holy Spirit. And I wondered as all the Christians leave and there are no more pastors, evangelists, churches, and maybe there will be some, but not ones that have been indwelt with the Holy Spirit. And there’ll be a vacuum. And will people feel abandoned? And yet Revelation tells us that there’ll be many, many, many millions of people who come to faith after the rapture and they’ll have to pay the price. Many of them are martyred and they give that to pay the ultimate price for putting their faith in Jesus. But I wanted to write a book that I could leave behind for them so they would know they have not been abandoned. Jesus said in John 16 that I’m not going to leave you as orphans. I will come to you. So that even during that tribulation period, if a person comes to the cross, confesses their sin, tells God they’re sorry, believes Jesus died for them, and asks him to forgive them and come into their heart, he’ll come into them in the person of the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit, the rapture will not deplete his power or dilute him. It will take us all out. So in a way, it’ll seem like he’s gone. And in some ways he is, but he’s still available to come into anybody who receives him by faith. So Jesus, he’s in you and in me. And after the rapture, when we’re gone, he will be available to come into anyone who receives Jesus by faith.

SPEAKER 03 : 10:35

You know, many people struggle to understand the Trinity. Three persons in one You had individual personalities, three members of the Godhead. Can you explain that better for people who are having difficulty with it?

SPEAKER 02 : 10:54

You know, actually, I can’t. I don’t even try. I’ve heard illustrations to try to explain it, but it’s a mystery, isn’t it? And somebody once said that if God were small enough for us to understand, he wouldn’t be big enough to save us. And so there’s some things we don’t understand and we just worship. And so I know our God is one, but I know he is three in one. He’s the Father, he’s the Son, he’s the Holy Spirit. Each one is equal to the other. And we think of the Holy Spirit as sort of the PS because he’s the third, but he’s not the least. It’s because in Scripture, the Old Testament primarily reveals God the Father and the Gospels primarily reveal God the Son. And then starting with Acts and the epistles, it’s God, the Holy Spirit, who’s primarily revealed. So it’s just that he’s the third in the order of more clear revelation. So he’s not a PS at all. In fact, the book of Acts is not the Acts of the early church. It’s the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the early church and through the disciples. And the thrilling thing is that the Holy Spirit is just as powerful and active today as he was in that early church. He can work differently, but his power is not diluted or depleted. He’s still the same powerful member of the Godhead and available to live in you and in me when we receive Jesus by faith.

SPEAKER 03 : 12:10

When you get down on your knees to pray and you address the Godhead, in whose name do you usually speak?

SPEAKER 02 : 12:20

I pray in Jesus’ name. You know, I feel like we’re, and I pray to Jesus, and there are times that I pray to the Father. But, and the Holy Spirit, you know, John 16 makes it clear that he, his whole priority is Jesus. His priority is the written word, because the written word reveals the living word. And so the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture. It says every word, every jot and tittle in the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit. And so he’s written that for us, that we might know God the Son and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. But he draws us to Jesus, and he’s there to glorify Jesus, to reveal Jesus to us. So… And it doesn’t mean that we don’t give him attention. And I wanted to make sure in this book, if you read through the book at the end, the conclusion is all about his priority. And you see it from the very beginning of Genesis chapter 1 all the way through the end to Revelation chapter 22. His whole priority is to reveal Jesus. But it doesn’t matter if we get them mixed up. If we invite Jesus into our hearts, he comes in in the person of the Holy Spirit. He understands the semantics, you know. and if you pray to the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit understands we’re praying to Jesus so I just don’t think there should be any hesitation no shyness no apprehension you pray to God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit the God who is the creator the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and the God who so loved the world that he gave Jesus to die for us that if we place our faith in him we would not perish but have everlasting life so it’s So it’s that God. And in our world, Dr. Thompson, it’s so, you know, it’s tragic because now so many other gods are lifted up equal to Jesus. And Jesus even isn’t even allowed to be mentioned. But he is King of Kings and he is Lord of Lords and he is the unique son of God. And he does stand in the solitude of himself. And one day he’s coming back to reign and rule in this world. And I believe he surely remembers. I said it’s very soon. And if it happened in the next moment, I want him to find me serving him and loving him and telling other people about him without being ashamed. I’m not going to buy into this political correctness that tells us that we can’t mention the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You know, he’s the one that magnifies Jesus and glorifies Jesus and beautifies Jesus. I don’t think we need to be concerned about confusing one with the other because they’re three in one and they all understand.

SPEAKER 03 : 14:46

Does the Holy Spirit show up in the Old Testament?

SPEAKER 02 : 14:51

You know, He does in the second verse. And so Genesis 1, 1 begins that great verse, you know, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And verse 2 says, and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep. And that’s the Holy Spirit preparing planet Earth that had no form, was void, you know, covered with water, preparing it to receive the Word of God in verse 3 that went forth every day. And And every day between the Holy Spirit and the word that went forth, the planet Earth was transformed. And then, so you see him all through the Old Testament, and he would come upon people in the Old Testament. He would anoint them like King Saul, anoint him to lead. But in the New Testament, since Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us, he comes never to leave us, never to forsake us. So he’s given to us, and he will never be taken away. He’s called our advocate, isn’t he? Yes, he is our advocate, our intercessor, our strengthener.

SPEAKER 03 : 15:46

Explain what that means, if you will. You describe it on pages 18 and 19 of your book.

SPEAKER 02 : 15:52

Tell a story in there that would be hard to tell briefly, but my husband was chairman of the board of deacons in our church. He was head of the men’s fellowship. He taught the largest Sunday school class in the church, and the pastor retired, and they were looking for another pastor, and my husband was on the search committee, and And the search committee decided that they didn’t want a pastor who believed in the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture. So on a Sunday morning during the worship service, voted to remove him from the search committee. And to the sound of applause, the whole church applauded when my husband was removed. It was humiliating. And then my Bible class that met there every week and had been there every week for nine years, a big class. We had 500 women, including the pastor’s wife. But they threw us out because they were afraid that my Bible class would influence the search committee. And so the front page of the paper, you know, it was headlines, Billy Graham’s daughter thrown out of a Baptist church. And it was humiliating. So I didn’t, you know, I didn’t retaliate. I didn’t say anything. And the Lord put my class in another wonderful church. And my husband and I were out of church for a year, but then we joined another wonderful church. And a year later, the advocate who is the Holy Spirit who works in on our behalf. And that same paper that had printed those headlines printed a beautiful two-page article on me just absolving me of any guilt and fault and absolving my Bible class. And I knew at the time that was the work of the advocate on my behalf. And sometimes he doesn’t work as quickly as we think he should. You know, I would have liked that article to come out as soon as I was thrown out, but it took a year. But a year later, you know, the record was set straight. So the advocate can do things for us. He can intercede. That’s another name for him with other people, with somebody that you have a broken relationship with. If they have the Holy Spirit, you can pray that the Holy Spirit in them would be stirred up and the Holy Spirit in you and that he would intercede and reconcile the two of you.

SPEAKER 03 : 17:50

You know, and that reminds me of Romans 8, 26, which says, So likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.

SPEAKER 02 : 18:12

Isn’t it wonderful? Because there’s sometimes we can’t articulate our prayers either. And the Holy Spirit who lives in us and He ever lives before the throne of God and He can convey our thoughts, our feelings without words to the Father. And even when I pray, my prayers are so feeble and the Holy Spirit can clean them up and make them presentable. But it also tells us that Jesus, He ever lives to make intercession for us. You know, I feel like everybody ought to have a prayer partner, whether it’s your husband or a spouse or somebody in your church or your family. But sometimes we don’t have anybody we can confide in like that. But that’s the Holy Spirit. You know, He’s our prayer partner. He prays for us and knows how to pray and knows how to get answers to prayer. And we can confide in Him. He never breaks the confidence. He never spins the truth. He’s absolutely trustworthy.

SPEAKER 03 : 19:01

And let me share a memory from my own family about advocacy that related to my dad. And I don’t even know if I can fully explain it, but it’s highly emotional to me, and I’m not sure I can get through it. But in 1977, my dad had had a terrible heart attack, and he would soon die. He just didn’t live very long after this. And I was on my way back to Los Angeles after a speaking engagement in Indianapolis, and I got to Kansas City about 12 midnight, and I went straight to the hospital to see my dad. And that weekend turned out to be the last time I would ever be with him. The next morning, a Sunday morning, I went to his bedside and My dad was emotional, and he said, I want to tell you something that happened to me early this morning. It was about 5 o’clock in the morning in the gray dawn of the hospital, and he said it was not a dream. He said it was a vision. It was not a dream because he was wide awake. But he saw a man sitting at a table in the room and he was writing something. And as he wrote, he started to speak in the most eloquent language my dad had ever heard. And quickly he realized that the man was talking about him and describing his life. And as the man came to the bottom of the page, he thrust his hand outward, holding the pen, and he said, he is acceptable. And my dad realized that the man was Jesus who was speaking and writing on his behalf in some heavenly court. And then suddenly the vision ended. And my dad had been lying there thinking about what that meant in regard to his acceptability to God the Father. He was very emotional, and so was I. Yes, isn’t that a wonderful thing?

SPEAKER 02 : 21:14

And Ephesians 1 tells us that we’re accepted in the beloved. You know, that’s a wonderful word to know that because of what Jesus has done, we’re accepted. And then we also want to live our lives in such a way that we receive a full reward. So I’m sure your father was one of Dr. Dobson. I believe you and Shirley both are going to receive a full reward. And I’m so thankful. I counted a privilege to know you personally, as well as to talk to you in your program. So it’s a very precious blessing to me.

SPEAKER 03 : 21:44

And it’s been a pleasure talking to you. Thank you for sharing so personally about your own struggles and problems that you’ve gone through and the loss. God be with you, and I know he will. And keep writing. You’ve written, what, 16 books?

SPEAKER 02 : 22:01

I’ve lost count somewhere in there.

SPEAKER 03 : 22:04

Well, this one is called Jesus in Me, Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion. Is it really that constant? Is he always with you?

SPEAKER 02 : 22:15

That’s always, always with us, whether you’re consciously aware of it or not. But he’s always with us in those moments. In fact, Dr. Dobson, I think he lets us have hardship and pressure and pain and suffering because it’s at those moments that we’re more aware of his presence. You know, we tend to rely on Him more and we depend on Him more and we look to Him more. So I can thank God for the weakness. I can thank God for the pain and the suffering. I can thank God even for the grief and the loss because it’s during those times that I know Him in a way I wouldn’t if everything was going well. Maybe that’s one explanation for suffering, you know, why God lets the innocent suffer and why He lets bad things happen to good people. And I think it’s because it makes us better.

SPEAKER 03 : 22:57

Thank you for being with us today. Shirley sends her love to you.

SPEAKER 02 : 23:00

Yes, thank you so much, Dr. Dobson. God bless you.

SPEAKER 03 : 23:03

And God bless you.

SPEAKER 01 : 23:12

Even in our deepest valleys, whether facing loss, illness, or uncertainty, the Holy Spirit remains our unwavering companion. You’ve been listening to Family Talk and Dr. James Dobson’s heartfelt conversation with Anne Graham Lotz about the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. Anne’s personal journey through grief and cancer offers hope to anyone walking through a difficult season. For all the details. Can you believe it’s been 15 years since the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute began? We are so grateful for God’s faithfulness throughout these years and for friends like you who stand with us in championing faith, freedom, and family. As part of this milestone celebration, we do have a special request. First and foremost, we want to encourage you to reach out to us at drjamesdobson.org and share your story. You can share your story in writing. You can share your story with a phone call or a recorded audio message or a recorded video message as well. That’s drjamesdobson.org. Here at the JDFI, we’re committed to preserving and promoting the institution of the family through biblical principles. And every day we reach millions of listeners through these broadcasts, helping them navigate life’s challenges with God’s wisdom. Now, this outreach is possible only because friends like you believe in our mission to strengthen families, introduce people to Jesus Christ and to stand for the sanctity of human life and God honoring values in our culture. Your support is making an eternal difference in homes all across America. And when you make a secure donation at drjamesdobson.org, that will continue to extend the reach of this ministry. Again, go to drjamesdobson.org. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us continue sharing biblical truth with families who need it most. Again, go to drjamesdobson.org to make a secure donation online or call us at 877-732-6825. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, and on behalf of Dr. James Dobson and all of us here at the JDFI, thanks so much for listening today. Be sure to join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.