Daily Devotional for Thursday August 27, 2026

The death of Dolly Parton! and, True prayer requires ACTION!

DAILY DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2026

(1 Chronicles 16:11; Matthew 7:7; Mark 11:24)

***Personal Message For You From Bill Keller***

There comes moments in life when you either have true faith or you don’t!. I am at that place today as we struggle to cover the summer shortfalls. I am standing in faith for the Lord to send that “ram in the bush” to help us move past this critical moment VICTORIOUSLY! Please stand in prayer with me for the person or persons God is speaking to about helping me at this critical moment!!! IF THAT IS YOU, BE OBEDIENT! GOD’S BLESSINGS FLOW FROM OUR OBEDIENCE!

Fear not my friend, God will always have the last word in all circumstances. Trust Him! The same God who has watched over Liveprayer these past 27 years is the same God watching over us today!!! AMEN!!!

FOCUS ON OUR IMMEDIATE NEED OF $15,000 TO CLEAR UP THE JUNE BALANCE AND THAN THE $55,000 FROM JULY BY THE 31ST! OUR GOD IS ABLE!

I need your help today, we are in a difficult place financially as we end the summer months! Heading into the final days of August here is what our immediate needs are! We covered $15,000 of the critical $30,000 balance of our June operations leaving the final $15,000 from June’s shortfall and the $55,000 from our July ministry operations.

That is $70,000 we require before the end of the month to clear up our shortfalls we had starting August. I desperately need that final $15,000 from June that is way past due immediately, today!

That will give us some breathing room financially and allow me to have the final days of August to clear up the $55,000 from July. If you have sold some property, a business, had a financial windfall of some sort but haven’t tithed on that windfall, please pray about planting that seed in the proven good soil of Liveprayer at this critical time!

To give a gift to Liveprayer you can use your major credit card at: http://liveprayer.com/donate.cfm or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6662 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible!

*27TH ANNIVERSARY MONTH! As we head into August, our 27h anniversary month, please pray about helping me with a special one-time gift of $27, $1 for every year, or $270, $10 for every year, or $2,700, $100 for every year, or $27,000, $1,000 for every year.

To give a gift to Liveprayer you can use your major credit card at: http://liveprayer.com/donate.cfm or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6662 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible!

***Prayer***

Dear Lord, open my eyes to see this world clearly, and show me what You want me to do to serve You in these times we live. You and You alone will have the last word Lord. Let me see this lost world through Your eyes and with Your heart and help to lead the lost and hurting to find Your hope, strength, peace, and salvation! In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!

***The Daily Liveprayer TV Nugget***

The death of a cultural icon, Dolly Parton. Every summer I spent 2 weeks with my grandparents, may fathers mother and father. I was born in 1958 to give you context. As in many homes across the country, on Saturday night people watched the Porter Wagoner program. The Porter Wagoner program began in 1960 and aired until 1981 at a time when there were only 3 major networks. If you were on a national TV program in those years, millions of people across the nation were watching.

In 1967 when I was 9, a new singer joined the Porter Wagoner program, 21 year old Dolly Parton. At that time she had already performed at the Grand Old Opry in 1959 at age 13, introduced by Johnny Cash. She would remain part of the Porter Wagoner program for the next 7 years and it would be the launching pad for her global entertainment career.

Parton’s career included the 3,000 plus songs she wrote and sang, her musical collaborations with virtually every major name in music from the 70s to today, successful major movies like 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Broadway.

Forty years ago Dolly took over a struggling amusement part in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the Great Smokey Mountains not that far from the one room home she grew up in with her mother, father, and 11 brothers and sisters. Dolly rebranded it “Dollywood.” and over the last 40 years apx 100 million people from all over the world have visited Dollywood.

Dolly was a major philanthropist giving away hundreds of millions of dollars over the years to various causes. None were as near and dear to her heart as her Imagination Library. Fueled by the fact her own father never learned to read or write, Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995, sending free books in the mail every month to children from birth through age 5. This global charity has sent out 300 million books and currently mails out 3 million books a month to children worldwide.

Dolly got married to her husband Carl Thomas Dean in 1966, and they were married for 59 years when Dean died in March of 2025. The couple never had any children. For a global icon in the entertainment industry over 7 decades, Dolly seemed to live above the fray of that often chaotic world where the spotlight never leaves those at the top. Despite the scrutiny and attention, Dolly was only involved in a few industry legal actions like a suit by her old boss Porter Wagoner when she left the program, but that was eventually settle amicably.

Throughout her life Parton proved to be savvy business women even tho she was just a high school graduate and never went to college. One of her wisest decisions came in 1974. Without a doubt Dolly’s greatest songs was “I Will Always Love You.” A little music trivia. Dolly wrote “I Will Always Love You” and her iconic hit “Jolene” ON THE SAME DAY IN 1973! Dolly wrote “I Will Always Love You” not as a love song as much as a tribute to her mentor Porter Wagoner when she left the program that launched her career.

In 1974 Dolly had arranged for Elvis Presley to do a cover of “I Will Always Love You.” The night before they were to record it, Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker called Dolly and told her that Elvis would only do the cover if he received 50% of the publishing rights to the song. At this moment in time Dolly was BIG in the country music world, but still on the rise. Elvis however was now a global music icon for 20 years, he was THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL!

Dolly refused to sign over 50% of the publishing rights to “I Will Always Love You” and said she cried herself to sleep that night. Sadly, Elvis never did a cover of her biggest hit, but Whitney did! Whitney’s cover of the song in the 1992 movie “The Bodyguard” made Dolly over $10 million in publishing royalties JUST IN THE 90s! Dolly invested a large portion of those initial royalties in a commercial office complex in a historically black neighborhood in Nashville, referring to the property as the “house the Whitney built.”

Coming out of the hills of Tennessee, with her grandfather a Church of God pastor, faith was a big part of Dolly’s life throughout her long life. To her credit, over her 70 yrs in the entertainment business Dolly never failed to boldly speak out about her faith in Christ. She was been criticized over the years for being soft on the issue of homosexuality. Being in a world where that lifestyle is prevalent, obviously created a dilemma for Dolly since any Christian knows the LGBTQ CHOICE is in rebellion to God and His Word.

Dolly chose a standard answer for this clear contradiction stating people need to be “loved rather than judged,” and that “judging others is God’s job, not ours.” I understand Dolly is an entertainer and not an evangelist, but all Believers have a duty to tell people the truth about these issues. No doubt that by not condemning this perverted choice, Dolly caught heat from her Christian fans, tho she was always quick to move past the issue.

Dolly was also condemned for not taking a stand on politics over the years, with both those on the right and left condemning her for not engaging. Recently those on the left criticized her for recording a song with Kid Rock (Trump supporter) on her 2023 rock album, but as she normally did Dolly simply ignored her critics. A few words that followed Dolly Parton over her 7 decades at the top of the entertainment world were kindness and decency. Unlike other global icons, it is hard to find those who spoke ill of Dolly Parton at any point of her 80 year journey thru this life.

Dolly Parton bridged two worlds. The Smokey Mountain world she grew up in and where she started her incredible career is a day long gone. Simplistic in many ways, foundational issues like faith, family, and country were generally accepted by most in the country during Dolly’s early years in show business. She lived long enough to have to deal with the more complicated world of today, driven by a boom in technology while those foundational issues like faith, family, and country are being questioned, attacked, and now rejected by a portion of society.

Dolly was one of the last truly transitional figures in the entertainment world. Only God knows a person’s heart as to salvation, but based on her words and deeds throughout 80 years of life I believe despite the shortcomings we all have, Dolly is forever in the arms of Jesus!

***I have issued TWO major warnings in June for people to wake up before God unleashes His wrath and punishment on our land for our sins and wickedness. The first was on the Liveprayer TV program Tuesday June 2nd. The warning starts at the 11:40 mark of the program and goes on for 20 minutes. Here is the link to that program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVuURi7A4Uk&t=722s The second was on the Liveprayaer TV program Wednesday June 24th. The warning starts at the 9:40 mark of the program and goes on for 20 minutes. Here is the link to that program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMs1gyuIMto&t=590s

***Liveprayer TV Program airs “LIVE” every Monday thru Friday from 11pm EDT to Midnight! For details on viewing options for the Liveprayer TV program, “LIVE” or “On Demand,” go to: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm

***August Financial Update***

I need your help today, we are in a difficult place financially as we end the summer months! Heading into the final days of August here is what our immediate needs are! We covered $15,000 of the critical $30,000 balance of our June operations leaving the final $15,000 from June’s shortfall and the $55,000 from our July ministry operations.

That is $70,000 we require before the end of the month to clear up our shortfalls we had starting August! I desperately need that final $15,000 from June that is way past due immediately!

That will give us some breathing room financially and allow me to have the final days of August to clear up the $55,000 from July. If you have sold some property, a business, had a financial windfall of some sort but haven’t tithed on that windfall, please pray about planting that seed in the proven good soil of Liveprayer at this critical time! We will focus on clearing up the $55,000 we required this month and the $55,000 for September during September.

Traditionally each year we struggle during the summer months of June, July, and August, so I can really use your help especially in these final days of August with that $70,000 seriously past due! OUR GOD IS ABLE!!

*27TH ANNIVERSARY MONTH! As we head into August, our 27th anniversary month, please pray about helping me with a special one-time gift of $27, $1 for every year, or $270, $10 for every year, or $2,700, $100 for every year, or $27,000, $1,000 for every year.

The Bible teaches us to “give according to our ability to give.” For some that may be $10 or $20. For others it may be $50 or $100. Still others it may be $200, $500, $1,000, $10,000 or more. God will bless your gift no matter the amount.

Also, don't forget a gift of $1,800 covers one day of ministry at Liveprayer. I received this email recently, “Pastor Bill, My wife and I have just sold our last rental and God told us to tithe $1,800.00 to pay for a day of your ministry. Not looking for accolades, just that you know when you receive the check. Rest assured that we will still be making our regular weekly tithes."

To give a gift to Liveprayer you can use your major credit card at: http://liveprayer.com/donate.cfm or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6662 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible!

Stocks! A great way to help Liveprayer is by donating stock. The transfer can be made in a way you get the full credit for your donation without having to pay any of the taxes you normally would on gains your stocks may have enjoyed. Contact me for information about this incredible way to help God's work here at Liveprayer: bkeller@liveprayer.com

*By the way I have been seeking the Lord since the start of this year for God to lead someone He has blessed richly to make a legacy gift of $15,000,000 to Liveprayer. That would insure that when God decides to call me home Liveprayer will continue to impact lives and lead lost souls to faith in Jesus for a minimum of 20 years. Please stand in agreement with me for the Lord to raise up that person!

*Live on after you are in Heaven!!! By remembering God's work here at Liveprayer in your will/estate planning, you can still help me share His Truth with the masses, be here for people in their time of greatest need, and help lead the lost to faith in Jesus even after God has called you home!!! God has led many of our friends in the Liveprayer family to remember His work here in their will. Please pray about this opportunity to continue and partner with me in the Lord's work at Liveprayer, even after you are enjoying your rewards and the eternal peace of Heaven! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com

"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." (1 Chronicles 16:11)

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24)

Today, I want to help you with a simple but powerful truth that could revolutionize your prayer life. So much of the time we treat our prayer life like we are rubbing a magical lamp and asking the genie inside for our wishes to be granted. Even mature Believers often fall into the trap of treating God like some kind of cosmic concierge who is there at our beck and call to fulfill our every whim and desire. The truth that I want to share with you today is that prayer requires action on our part.

When we pray, we are demonstrating our dependence upon God. We are saying to God that "we need you," that "without you we can do nothing." Prayer is also an act of faith. What is the use in praying unless you have faith there is a God who hears you and faith there is a God who can help you? So when we pray we not only demonstrate our dependence upon God, but also our faith in God.

The key moment comes AFTER we have prayed. What do we do then? This is the critical point where many Believers fail. Prayer requires action on our part. Too many who pray, fail to follow up their prayers with ACTION! They pray and seek God for a need in their life, finish praying, and then sit back waiting for God to meet their need. Is God able? Of course, He is God! However, never forget that we pray out of faith, and true Biblical faith requires ACTION!

If you are praying for God to heal your body, pray, but then ACT! Go see the doctors and specialists that are out there to help you heal. Go research what your health issue is and find the best people possible to help bring complete and total healing to your body. God heals in many ways and by far the most common way God heals is through human instruments called doctors. So if you need healing, pray, ask God to heal you, and then put your faith into action and do all you can in seeing your body healed.

If you are praying for God to meet your financial needs, pray, but then ACT! Seek out successful men and women and get their wise counsel. Sit down and put a game plan together to help you meet your financial needs and achieve your financial goals. God can provide for us in many ways, but His most common form of provision is through our hard work. So if you have financial needs, pray, ask God to provide for you, then put your faith into action and do all you can to see that your financial needs are met.

If you are praying for your marriage or for a relationship, pray, but then ACT! Seek out Godly counsel from your pastor or some other qualified Christian counselor. Get away with your spouse or the person you are in a relationship with and spend quality time openly and honestly communicating with each other. The root cause of every marital and relationship problem I have seen in over 19 years of ministry stems from a lack of pure, honest, and open communication. So if you have a problem with your marriage or a relationship, pray, ask God to bring healing and restoration to your marriage or relationship, then put your faith into action and do all you can to have a healthy marriage or relationship.

Never forget that it is God who is the One who will heal you, provide for you, restore your marriage or relationship, but God uses our faith in action. Prayer is not a passive exercise but an active one! We are active participants in God answering our prayers. It requires action on our part. It is God who is answering our prayers, but our faith requires us to be involved in that process. Just as James wrote to Believers that "faith without works is dead," I tell you today that PRAYER WITHOUT ACTION IS POWERLESS!!!

I love you and care about you so much. Most people are far too passive in their prayer life. They pray and then sit back waiting for God to answer. No doubt there are some things we pray about that are completely out of our control and we must simply trust God to move on those needs. But much of what we pray about we have the ability to put action to our prayers. It is still God who is answering our prayers, but He is working through our actions.

It needs to be stressed again, we are not just praying out of dependence upon God, but out of FAITH in God. True Biblical faith requires ACTION on our part. If you really believe something, you will live it. If we truly believe God will heal us, or provide for our needs, or heal our marriage or relationship, or whatever the need may be, we will be active participants in seeing our prayers answered. God honors our faith. God is moved by our faith. God blesses our faith. We pray in faith, therefore, our prayers require action!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller