The Power of One
“I realize that You guide each of Your children individually. That’s why listening to You— through Scripture and prayer— is essential for me to find the way forward. Please prepare me for the day that awaits me and point me in the right direction.”
– Jesus Listens, October 22nd
For the past twenty years, I’ve been reading Jesus Calling and have shared more copies than I can count during the seven hundred thousand miles I’ve traveled on international mission trips. Even when my luggage was limited and I couldn’t bring the book or flip calendar with me, I would screenshot the daily readings so I didn’t miss a day’s devotion. I can’t recall a single day when I haven’t read Jesus Calling.
Sarah Young’s words, inspired directly by Jesus, have deeply impacted my life. Her teachings and heartfelt messages have shaped my journey and prepared me for experiences beyond my imagination.
When my only child left for college, I would sit in a special chair in my daughter’s room each day and read Jesus Calling, dreaming of becoming someone like Sarah Young—someone who touches lives around the world in the way that Sarah touched mine. Little did I know at the time that God was preparing me to do just that.
My journey began during the pandemic. One day I was reading 2 Corinthians 1:11, which encourages us to “help us by your prayers” (NIV). When I glanced at my watch, I saw it was 1:11 p.m. In that moment, the Lord inspired me to encourage my home church to pause at 1:11 and pray for each other and our country. This 1:11 moment grew organically, reaching hundreds of people as I sent daily texts as a reminder to pause and pray. By God’s grace, it evolved into the Branch to Hope app, which now sends to people in many time zones a daily notification to pause and pray at 1:11 p.m.
As time passed, the Lord guided me to select for the day’s message a verse that had a reference that corresponded with the date. My prayer was that each time a reader glanced at the date, they would remember the day’s verse, engraving God’s Word on their hearts and hopefully weaving it into their conversations.
I never saw myself as an author or envisioned my dream coming to fruition in this way. Yet God used Sarah Young’s influence to inspire me to write daily messages for our Branch to Hope app, which has now led to the Branch to Hope devotional, Pause and Pray. This journey with God has transformed my life, and I am deeply grateful for the chance to encourage others to embrace moments when they, too, can make a difference like Jesus. The power of one, when placed in the hands of Jesus, can create an app, a book, and a movement of lifestyle-changing habits.
We all have the power of one, and in unity, we can spark a movement that transforms lives. Together, let’s seize every opportunity to make a difference and create meaningful moments with Jesus.
I am profoundly grateful for Sarah Young’s influence, which uncovered a hidden dream within me. Her words have touched my heart and the depth of my soul. I pray that I can offer a glimpse of hope to someone who has a dream within them, encouraging them as Sarah did for me. May your faith be strengthened daily and may you never forget that nothing is impossible with Jesus.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bobbie Cox is an entrepreneur and ambassador of encouragement who has been involved in kingdom-building efforts around the world. She started the Branch to Hope app to encourage people to come together and renew their lifestyles through prayer. Currently living in the Dallas area, Bobbie also works as a freelance consultant, connecting ministries to people with valuable skills. You can find Bobbie’s new book, Pause and Pray, here: PauseandPray
