The past six weeks have been a whirlwind. What began as crazy bad has turned into crazy good—and I’m left sitting in complete awe of God.
A Crisis That Turned Into a Miracle
Our son Connor has always been a good kid. But this past year, he began to drift—spending more time in his room, growing distant, and showing signs of disrespect. I chalked it up to normal teenage behavior until one night everything came crashing down.
We discovered he had lied to us about several things, was using foul language with friends, and had become entangled in a toxic relationship. When confronted, he exploded in anger and even punched a hole in the wall.
That night, my mother’s heart broke—and I fell to my knees. I began to pray and fast for three days, asking God to reveal the root of the problem and show us His plan. During that time, the Lord gave us a clear, month-long strategy for helping Connor reset his heart and mind toward Him.
And now, only weeks later, I’m watching a completely transformed child—tender, teachable, and full of fresh passion for God.
A Whisper From Heaven
One morning in prayer, overflowing with gratitude for what God had done, I heard Him whisper to my spirit:
“You tapped into the hidden power of Shabbat.”
I sat there stunned. What?
Just a few months earlier, our family had started practicing a simple, faith-filled version of the Jewish Sabbath—a Christian Shabbat. Could it be that this small act of obedience had opened spiritual gates of blessing and restoration over our home?
If that’s true, then the transformation in Connor’s life had less to do with what we did and more to do with what God released when we aligned ourselves with His ordained rhythm.
That thought caught me off guard—but also ignited something deep within me. If Sabbath truly carries this kind of hidden power, then everyone needs to know about it!
And that is exactly why I’m writing this.
Why You Need Sabbath
If you long for breakthrough in your family…
If you want to see your children flourish…
If you crave more peace and joy in your home—or if your mind and body are desperate for rest—
then you need the gift of Sabbath.
God’s command is simple and profound: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8
For years, I thought Sabbath just meant “Sunday”—a day for church, lunch, maybe a nap, and football. Growing up, most stores were closed, and people rested. Yet I never really saw it as sacred; it was just a nice tradition. I’d still do homework, laundry, or errands. Life hasn’t slowed down, especially now, with kids’ sports and full schedules.
And yet, even Chick-fil-A seems to understand something we’ve forgotten. They close one day a week to honor God’s principle of rest (and allow their staff to worship)—and I truly believe their success is no coincidence.
The Heart Behind the Command
From the very beginning—even before the Law of Moses—Sabbath was a gift, a rhythm of grace woven into creation itself. We often treat Sabbath as a rule we must follow, a restriction on what we can and cannot do. But Jesus reframed it:
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:27
It’s not about legalism—it’s about love.
God didn’t create Sabbath to control us but to bless us. To align our souls with His design.
Sabbath is a covenant sign of our devotion to God—a sacred rhythm that reorders our lives around Him each week. It represents not just a day of rest, but a lifestyle of wholehearted commitment to the Lord. When we honor the Sabbath, we declare with our time that He is our highest priority—above sports and entertainment, family demands, and work responsibilities. Sabbath becomes a quiet but powerful act of resistance against the idolatry of busyness, protecting us from turning good things into ultimate things, and reminding us that only God is worthy of first place in our hearts.
Sabbath is how we say, “God, You come first.”
Messianic teacher Paul Wilbur, in his book Roar from Zion, explains it well:
“These commandments were not suggestions because our human nature will quickly give way to personal preferences or opinions. Comfort and convenience exert a powerful effect on the soul (our unkept New Year’s resolutions prove that). Unless there are serious consequences for our actions, the carnal man will go his own way faster than we often think possible. How often do we slow down when we see a police car. Speed limits are just an example of a boundary meant to keep us safe – Yahweh gave us His law to prevent spiritual calamities or accidents.”
It has nothing to do with God’s expectations of us and everything to do with living in sync with His rhythm. As theologian Walter Brueggemann writes,
“People who keep the Sabbath live all seven days differently.”
Sabbath as God’s Antidote for a Fractured Family
Wilbur also warns that the greatest evil in our culture today is the destruction of the family. From television’s early days to the rise of social media and the breakdown of biblical values, the enemy’s goal has been consistent – to tear apart what God has joined together.
But God gave us a solution long before the problem began. Wilbur goes on to say:
“The weekly Sabbath rest is God’s plan—His antidote for the systematic destruction of the home. If we have no real commitment as a family to gather ourselves together for prayer, fellowship, and communion with the Lord, then our homes simply become houses where we eat, sleep, and wash our dirty clothes. This should not be. If we treat these things lightly, we run the risk of completely missing the treasures of life that God has infused into the family from the beginning.
Every seven days, no matter how important we might think any task might be, we are told to put it aside. At sundown business ceases. We gather the entire family together at the table, where we remember and sanctify the Lord and His presence. We look one another in the eye and speak blessings and love over each other. We enjoy a special meal and forget the tyranny of our cell phones. We share conversation about the week, turning our hearts toward gratitude to God. You can actually feel the rest and pleasure of God as the family settles in for an evening of fellowship and peace – shalom.”
Sabbath invites us to pause, reconnect, and re-center on what truly matters. We remember, rest, and rejoice together.
And I can testify – it works.
Our Family’s Shabbat
When our family first began observing Shabbat, it was awkward. We fumbled through the prayers and blessings, and struggled to fit it into our weekly routine, switching between Friday and Saturday nights to make it fit.
But as we persisted, something began to shift.We found ourselves more connected, more peaceful, more spiritually alive.
Our weekly rhythm became sacred space—a candlelit dinner, Scripture reading, communion, gratitude sharing, and blessings spoken aloud. We started to feel the presence of God resting in our home.
Since then, the fruit has been undeniable—answered prayers, deeper communication, renewed joy, healing in our family, and a spirit of honor and peace that wasn’t there before.
The Miracle of Sabbath: Diana’s Healing Story
When Paul Wilbur and Celebration Church in Florida began giving Shabbat its proper place again, the fruit was undeniable. A congregation of twelve thousand people began to experience extraordinary renewal—physical healings, marriages restored, prodigals returning home, and children repenting to their parents for disrespect. Families began opening their homes for weekly Sabbath dinners, inviting neighbors and even strangers to share in the joy. The Shabbat table became a place of covenant and restoration, radiating with the presence of God.
Among the many miracles that emerged from this revival of Sabbath was the story of Pastor Wayne and Diana Lanier.
In the spring of 2010, Diana was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer. As if that wasn’t enough, she was also diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which worsened through the cancer treatments. What followed was a long, excruciating journey that would stretch her faith and body to the breaking point.
Years of chemotherapy and radiation left Diana with severe nerve damage in her feet, legs, and hands. The pain was relentless—sharp, burning, and constant. Even standing for a few minutes was unbearable. She could only leave her house for short outings using an electric scooter, and afterward, she would spend days regaining her strength. For a woman who was a pastor’s wife, a homeschool mother of six, and a vibrant servant of God, this confinement was devastating.
The Lanier family prayed faithfully. Every day, Wayne and the children would gather around Diana, anoint her with oil, and speak Scripture over her in faith. They believed God could heal—but as the years dragged on, her condition worsened. Nine years of pain, nine years of hope deferred.
Then, near the end of 2018, everything changed.
During a Wednesday night service, Wayne and Diana had a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit. The Lord spoke clearly to Wayne’s heart:
“You have done well in praying, speaking the Word, and trusting Me for healing. But you have spent all your energy focused on the problem and trying to fix the symptoms. If you will put Me back at the center of your family, I know exactly what’s needed.”
Those words cut deep. The Lord wasn’t condemning them—He was inviting them. It wasn’t about striving harder; it was about restoring order. The Spirit reminded Wayne of the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:23–27,” “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
“When you speak this, you are putting My name on your family,” the Lord said. “When you put My name on them, I Myself will bless them. And My blessing knows exactly what is needed in every person and every situation. Let Me be on the front lines on your behalf.”
That Friday night, the Lanier family decided to do something different. They gathered for Shabbat, lighting candles, taking communion, blessing one another, and welcoming the Lord’s presence into their home. It was a simple act of obedience, a shift from pleading for healing to honoring the Healer.
Two days later, on Sunday after church, Diana mentioned that she felt unusually strong and well-rested. “Maybe I could try walking on the beach,” she said. Wayne was cautious but supportive. To their amazement, Diana walked for hours without stopping to rest, something she hadn’t been able to do for nearly a decade.
They drove home in awe, their hearts caught between disbelief and wonder. “It feels like the Lord is healing me,” Diana whispered through tears.
The next morning, she checked her blood sugar as she had done every day for years. Her numbers were completely normal—and they stayed that way. Day after day, week after week, her body was being restored.
As the family continued to gather every Friday night for Shabbat—resting, blessing, remembering, and worshiping—the healing deepened. Strength returned to Diana’s legs and feet. The pain faded. Joy flooded their home again.
Not long after, during a youth conference in January 2019, Wayne and Diana joined the teenagers at the altar. Together, they danced before the Lord in worship, something Diana never thought she would do again. That’s when she realized: “I’m totally healed.”
Today, though their children are grown and scattered, the family still gathers every Friday—sometimes over video call—to honor the Sabbath. They share communion, blessings, and stories of God’s continued faithfulness.
Diana’s healing stands as a living testimony to the power of realignment. When her family restored the rhythm of Sabbath—when they stopped striving and invited God back to the center—heaven opened.
The miracle didn’t come through frantic effort, but through sacred rest.
The Lord’s words proved true: when we put His name on our families, He Himself blesses us—and His blessing knows exactly what is needed.
Sabbath: From Genesis to Jesus.
The origins of Sabbath begin in Genesis, when God rested—not because He was tired (Psalm 147:5, Isaiah 40:28)—but because He was establishing a holy pattern for His creation. He blessed the seventh day and declared it holy. (Genesis 2:2–3)
From the very beginning, Sabbath wasn’t about obligation—it was about order.
It was God’s way of saying: “Live FROM My rest, not toward it.”
In the New Testament, Paul clarifies in Colossians 2:16–17:
“Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a festival, a New Moon, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of things to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Paul wasn’t dismissing Sabbath—he was dismantling legalism. He wanted believers to know that our salvation is not earned by ritual observance.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1
And yet, Hebrews 4:9–10 reminds us:
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.”
The Sabbath wasn’t abolished—it was fulfilled in Jesus. Now, through Christ, we don’t keep Sabbath to earn God’s favor—we keep it to enjoy it.
Sabbath isn’t about rules—it’s about relationship. It’s about remembering who God is, who we are, and how desperately we need His rest.
When we honor the rhythm of creation, we step into the rhythm of grace . . . and sometimes, in that sacred pause, miracles unfold—just like they did in both my son’s heart and in Diana’s healing.
So perhaps the question is not “Do we have to?” but “Do we get to?”
*For those who want to incorporate Sabbath as a part of their weekly routine, PART 2 of this blog will expand more on the cultural traditions of Shabbat and how we can walk this out practically as Christians.
FURTHER READING:
Pete Scazzero: 16 page booklet on The Gift of Sabbath
The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, or the Summary Notes from this book
Podcast on Sabbath (featuring Tyler Staton) "Unforced Rhythms of Grace"
Roar from Zion: Discovering the Power of Jesus Through Ancient Jewish Traditions by Paul Wilbur
