News August 7, 2025
News from Good News Ministries:
- The Grace of Perserverance
- Light a Candle! Celebrate Terry’s Retirement
- Plus, great links to great content!
The Grace of Perserverance
Over the past several weeks, I’ve battled with consistency in my prayer life. The demands of work, family obligations, and illness quietly snuck up on me and swept away the peace I had found in a steady rhythm of prayer. As a result, I’ve felt all over the place—disjointed, disoriented, and at times discouraged.
Feeling anxious and disheartened, I confided in my spiritual director that I didn’t want to be a “pretender.” As someone on the leadership team of GNM, I know how important it is to practice what I preach. I cannot lead others closer to Christ if I’m not following Him myself. His response was both simple and profound: “Don’t give up, and don’t give in.”
He explained: Don’t give up the battle to pray—and he offered practical advice to help make my prayer time more efficient and spiritually fruitful. But just as importantly, he said, “Don’t give in to the lies of the enemy or become despondent. The evil one wants to discourage you so that you’ll give up and stop making progress on the road to holiness. Don’t let him win.”
Although the last few weeks have been difficult and felt disjointed, I’ve done my best to persevere and continue praying. And I can now see the grace in that perseverance. As the external pressures that disrupted my schedule begin to ease and my routine returns, I’m grateful that I don’t have to rebuild my prayer life from scratch.
Perseverance has been a grace in these recent weeks, and I’m deeply thankful for the encouragement and instruction of my spiritual director. If you find yourself in a similar struggle with consistency in prayer, I encourage you: don’t give up and don’t give in. Keep fighting through the difficulties. Pray, even if it feels messy, disjointed, or disconnected—because when the storm passes, you won’t need to play catch-up. You’ll have kept your foothold on the path of holiness.
If you’re in a season of difficulty—or know someone who is—one powerful prayer resource I recommend is the Way of the Cross. This week, I encourage you to pray the beautiful version of the Stations of the Cross authored by our Executive Director, Terry Modica. If you’re not currently experiencing trials, offer it on behalf of someone who is.
I’ll leave you with these powerful words from Pope St. John Paul II, a saint who knew much about persevering in the face of difficulty:
“I plead with you—never, ever give up on hope. Never doubt, never tire, and never be discouraged. Be not afraid! There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already carried for us and does not bear with us now. Be not afraid!”
Let these words anchor you in hope. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Christ is with you—and He’s already won the victory.
Light a Candle! Celebrate Terry Modica’s Retirement!
We’d like to encourage you to celebrate Terry Modica’s retirement by lighting a candle. Your prayer for Good News Ministries and a small donation will help Good News Ministries’ light continue to burn brightly into the future.
Please prayerfully consider lighting a candle and honoring Terry’s 30+ years of service to Good News Ministries!
Good News Prayer Room:
Use our collection of Catholic prayers designed with your needs in mind. They will give you hope and a stronger connection to God’s love and support. What do you need prayers for today?
Visit gnm.org/prayers.
Post your prayer requests @ gnm.org/post-a-prayer.
Good News WordBytes:
WANT MORE FAITH and HOPE in TROUBLED TIMES? WE’RE HERE for YOU! Choose from a variety of topics on our website of Catholic Faith-building articles. What do you need today?
Visit wordbytes.org.
Be Inspired by Personal Testimonies
Watch these powerful testimonies about how God is transforming hearts and powerfully moving in the world today!
God bless you!
Every morning, I lift up in prayer everyone who helps Good News Ministries in any way (donors, volunteers, prayer supporters, etc.) and all the prayer requests posted on our site. What can I cover in prayer for you? Post your prayer request.
How else can the team and I serve you today? Visit our homepage.
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
Your servant in Christ,
Bill Snyder, Media Director
Good News Ministries
gnm.org
Find this and past issues at gnm.org/newsletter. Please share what will minister to others.