I asked God for strength, that I might achieve; I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health, that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. I asked for riches, that I might be happy; I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I asked … Read More
Attending a funeral recently I was reminded how personal the 23rd Psalm is. Just notice the pronouns. To King David, God wasnât someone elseâs God, and he certainly wasnât distant. He was near. And he was personally involved in King Davidâs life. No wonder this is the Psalm that is read by the bedside of the suffering. But it isn’t … Read More
In our world of instant gratification and fast-food restaurants most of us assume that when weâre hungry that means we should eat. But what might happen if our stomachâs prompting was a reminder to pray, not simply to eat? Such is the purpose of fasting. In his excellent article, Nine Reasons to Fast other than It’s Swimsuit Season Don Whitney references … Read More
He was from Nigeria, but I met him in Hungary. I was teaching for five days, and he was one of fifty international students studying the Bible in an old communist castle. Over lunch one day, he asked me the question: âIs it right for me to marry an American woman, and expect her to return with me to Nigeria?â … Read More
Jesus gave us a guide to prayer. He tucked it right in the middle of his sermon on the mount (Matt. 5-7). We call it the Lord’s Prayer. It begins: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (Matt. 6:9). The word hallowed is closely connected with the word holy, and it means to be set apart. Another way to think about … Read More
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly. Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that … Read More
Dick Eastman, author of The Hour that Changes the World, shares insightfully: Nothing I can do will please Christ more than my joining with Him in daily prayer. And when I do, something happens in the world that could not happen through any other means. Here are seven tools that others have found beneficial in bringing consistency to their prayer life: Take and 8.5 … Read More
Have you ever wondered what’s on Jesus’ prayer list? The apostle Paul links Jesusâ resurrection directly to His intercession for us. The Scripture records, It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).  Notice those last five words: Who makes intercession for us. Did … Read More
My mind has a tendency to wander. Perhaps yours does too. So when I silence my cell phone in a service I want to attempt to shut off my mental day-timer too. Letting the dayâs events run through my mind is not conducive to hearing what God desires for me to learn. It often doesnât feel like Iâm in control of my … Read More
Sometimes its easy to get distracted in prayer. I have used the simple acrostic PRAY to keep me focused. Praise. Repent. Ask. Yield. These four elements are essential in making our prayer time effective. Praise. An essential element of prayer is praise. I like to remember to praise the who, what, and why of God. When I praise him for … Read More
