When it comes to prayer, I sometimes hit a dry spell. I’m a pastor. So perhaps that surprises you. In case it isn’t obvious, we’re human too! Very human. Most of the pastors I know love Jesus, want to serve him, care for his people, and struggle with many of the same things that you … Continue reading When your prayer life hits a dry spell
prayer
The prayer life of Jesus
Have you ever wondered what Jesus’ prayer life was like? We know what he taught about prayer because those teachings are preserved in the New Testament. But what was his actual personal practice? Theologian Joachim Jeremias explains the daily habits of devout Jews in the first century. First, he would have said the Shema in … Continue reading The prayer life of Jesus
Barrenness of soul
“I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish” (Ezekiel 17:24). Generally speaking, we do not like hardship. We try to avoid it. But if we’re being honest, I think that most of us can look back on certain hardships from our past and see how some good was able to come … Continue reading Barrenness of soul
For the peace of Jerusalem
By now you have surely heard about (or seen footage of) the terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel. It is so very horrifying to learn about innocent people—including women and children—being torn from homes, assaulted, and killed and/or taken prisoner. When I hear about the bodies of innocent victims being paraded through the streets while … Continue reading For the peace of Jerusalem
Praying for strangers right then and there
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). Have you ever seen someone walking down the street and been prompted to pray for them? I have. I bet you have too. Perhaps you discounted the feeling as just a fleeting thought. But what if that was … Continue reading Praying for strangers right then and there
Talking to your own soul
David begins Psalm 103 like this: “Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” Have you ever noticed that David is speaking… to himself? That’s right. He’s speaking to his own soul. Seems strange, right? Why would he do that? We can learn a lot of things in a single … Continue reading Talking to your own soul
Do you talk AT God or WITH God?
In Psalm 91:15 God says: “When he calls to me, I will answer him…” What does it mean to call out to God? It means to speak with him honestly in prayer. It also means so trusting in him that you expect some sort of response. With that in mind let me ask you a … Continue reading Do you talk AT God or WITH God?
Brutally honest and brief
Prayer can get hard when life gets hard. I wonder why that is. Maybe we start to wonder whether or not it makes any difference. Or perhaps we just get so tired—emotionally, physically or spiritually—that we just stop doing it. When life is overwhelming, it takes all your energy just to put one foot in … Continue reading Brutally honest and brief
When God’s answer is better
“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears!” (Psalm 39:12) “God didn’t answer my prayer.” Have you ever said that? Have you ever thought it? In my experience, when someone says that God didn’t answer their prayer, what they usually mean is that God didn’t … Continue reading When God’s answer is better
Pray for yourself… and the preacher
In this series of devotionals we’re talking about how to get the most out of a sermon. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you listen to a lot of sermons. Yes, you certainly do other things like worship, read the Bible, pray, love your neighbours and serve others. But you also listen to sermons. Here … Continue reading Pray for yourself… and the preacher
