A regular habit of prayer shapes you. Let me explain.In the sixth century B.C., Darius passed a law that no one could “petition” any man or god except himself for 30 days. It was most likely an act designed to consolidate political loyalty across the new empire. If anyone broke the law, he would be … Continue reading Marching to a different beat—through prayer
prayer
Being someone’s answered prayer (when yours feel unanswered)
“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).What if you are someone’s answered prayer even though yours feel unanswered?You’ve probably heard the first part of that statement … Continue reading Being someone’s answered prayer (when yours feel unanswered)
Pray—as a first resort
In Daniel 2, the Babylonian king issued a death order. Since some of his “wise men” couldn’t tell him his dream or it’s interpretation, he wanted to kill them all. Yikes! It was literal insanity.Since Daniel and his friends were among the class of wise men, they too were in danger. After learning what was … Continue reading Pray—as a first resort
Short one-sentence prayers from the Bible
Prayer is vital to the Christian life. But let’s be honest, we can get stuck. Even if we don’t get stuck, we probably want to go deeper.Prayer is deceptively simple. A very basic definition is that it is talking with God. So, why can it be so hard—either to get out of a rut, or to … Continue reading Short one-sentence prayers from the Bible
God can handle the truth
“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Psalm 51:6).In 1992 a movie came out called “A Few Good Men.” It’s been a while since I saw it, so there are a lot of parts I don’t remember. But one line stood out, and it … Continue reading God can handle the truth
The Spirit helps us in our weakness
Let me share one of the most comforting verses in the Bible.There are times when we feel as if our prayer life is deflated. In fact, there are times when we feel deflated, generally speaking. Things are not as they should be. We feel as though we can barely do the basics let alone follow … Continue reading The Spirit helps us in our weakness
What’s happening in your heart matters
We’ve been talking about prayer.Did you know that when it comes to effective prayer, what is happening in your heart matters?Recently I was struck by Psalm 66:18. The psalmist says: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”When someone “cherishes” something they are adoring it; they are protecting it. … Continue reading What’s happening in your heart matters
He can answer our requests in a better way
Prayer is a significant part of our lives.However, when God doesn’t seem to respond in a way we want or expect, we can start to question him.When that happens—and even when it doesn’t—we need to trust in God’s wisdom and timing. He truly knows better than we do.A helpful verse that reminds us of this … Continue reading He can answer our requests in a better way
If we ask anything according to his will
In 1 John 5:14 the apostle writes: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”This verse is about prayer. I invite you to notice four words: “according to his will.” John is providing a direct instruction about prayer. He is telling … Continue reading If we ask anything according to his will
The gospel of our liberated age?
There are times when we humans make simple things difficult and difficult things too simplistic. Mark Bauerlein was speaking to his friends about a group of monks in Vermont who spend most of their time in contemplation and prayer. His friends respected the monks, but were puzzled by them. “It doesn’t occur to them,” Bauerlein writes, “that … Continue reading The gospel of our liberated age?
