My question is in regard to taking fertility medicine to conceive a child.  I have a hormonal imbalance that makes me have difficulty conceiving.  I took medicine after trying to conceive for over a year.  It worked for me, and I had a beautiful son.  I feel like God sent him to me, and he is a blessing, but in the back of my mind, I wonder if God thinks it was okay for me to take the medicine to have him.  I just want to know... is it okay to take fertility drugs to conceive a child in the eyes of the Lord?

Sincerely,
Baby Boom

Dear Baby Boom,

God condones taking medication for our health problems.  Paul told Timothy to take some wine for his stomach (1 Tim 5:23).  The sick were told to have the elders pray over them and anoint them with oil – oil was used as a medicine (Jas 5:14).

We know that medicine is perfectly appropriate when you are sick.  Though some feel uncomfortable using fertility drugs (and you should never do anything that goes against your conscience – 1 Tim 1:5), the argument can be made that fertility medication is just like using aspirin or any other medical technique to improve human health and body function.  Enjoy the blessing of your baby boy, and thank God for him (Col 4:2).

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

I have a really odd question.  When I say my prayer at night before bed, I talk to the Lord like I would any person I care about.  I've had nights that my prayer goes on for a long time.  I guess my question is: is this okay?  Is it wrong?  Is there a proper way to say a prayer, or does it matter when you believe in the Lord?  Thanks so much for your time and patience.  I'm sorry for such an odd question.

Sincerely,
Comfortable In Prayer

Dear Comfortable In Prayer,

We love odd questions!  There is a right and wrong way to pray, but nothing you have said that you do is necessarily wrong (we recommend you read “Whose Prayers Count?” for further details).  David mentions remembering the Lord while in his bed during the late night hours (Ps 63:6).  David said that men should pray to God continually (Ps 72:15).  Paul said to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17).  There is no such thing as a prayer that is too short (Jesus’ model prayer took only seconds to say – Lk 11:1-4).  Likewise, there is also no such thing as a prayer that is too long… as long as it is heartfelt, sincere, and reverent.  Never forget that it is God you are talking to.  He deserves respect and reverence (Heb 12:28).  We can, and should, approach Him as our Father (Rom 8:15).  We can entreat Him as often as we’d like (Lk 18:1).

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

I have a friend who always wants to talk about religion but doesn't understand my beliefs. I am a christian, and when I try to explain to her that the Bible is literally interpreted, she doesn't understand and replies with, "Well, that’s your and your church's interpretation of the Bible" and "The same literal verse can mean different things to different people."  What verses or explanation can I use as examples of how the Bible should be interpreted and why?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Literally Puzzled

Dear Literally Puzzled,

What you are trying to do is prove to your friend that the Bible is God’s literal word and that God intends for it to be understood in a definite fashion.  Here are a couple of different ways to try and get this concept across to your friend:

1. Peter said that the Bible is not a matter of our own private interpretation (2 Pet 1:20-21).  When God spoke, He didn’t mean for His Words to be interpreted how we wished.  In fact, the apostle Paul condemns our own interpretation as “perverting” God’s Word (Gal 1:6-7).  There is a right and a wrong way to read the Scriptures.
2. If there is more than one correct way to interpret the Scriptures, it would be impossible to have unity.  Unity can only happen if we agree on the same standards.  If people each have their own personal interpretation of the Scriptures, there is no common standard to build unity upon.  God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33).  God commands us to have unity, and that there is only one faith (Eph 4:3-6).  Show your friend Ephesians chapter four and explain that unity cannot happen without a single standard.
3. God purposely made sure that every word of the Bible was exactly as He intended it to be (Matt 5:18).  Everything that the prophets wrote was directly from the mind of God (1 Cor 2:12-13).  If God put that much effort into preserving the accuracy and detail of the Bible, we cannot disregard that.  We must be as accurate in our reading of the Bible as God was in writing it.
4. Jesus believed there was a right and a wrong way to read the Bible.  He accused the Pharisees of disregarding God’s teachings (Matt 21:42).  He also told the Sadducees that they didn’t understand the Scriptures (Matt 22:29).  If Jesus says there is a right and a wrong way to view the Scriptures, then we must make sure we are rightly discerning God’s Word.

There is no guarantee any of these things will work with your friend, but we wish you the very best as you try and share the Gospel.  Hopefully, she will be willing to listen with an open and honest heart.