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Do you ever feel that your prayer of confession is hollow? As if the phrases: "I'm sorry please forgive me help me not to do this again" fall flat? Your words sounds to you like quoting a well-rehearsed rhyme or song and your heart stays cold. It doesn't seem like you've done business with God. You know that your acceptance by God is not dependent on a certain set of word...
Keep Reading"I will pray for you". Who hasn't said these words to a struggling fellow Christian? Knowing that your name and need is brought before God's throne is medicine for the soul. When someone prays for you, it's like he places his shoulder under the weight that you are carrying (Gal. 6:2). The Bible contains many examples of this kind of intercessory prayer. Epaphras prayed th...
Keep ReadingGod invites our prayer requests (Phil. 4:6). He loves to be asked and enjoys being the Giver. But do we thank him too, or do we pray much more than we praise? The biblical call is to "continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Col. 4:2). When the ingredient of thanksgiving is added to our pleading, the entire flavor of our prayer changes.We d...
Keep ReadingSaying that the Bible is a book about prayer is not an overstatement. Itis more than that, but certainly not less. From the earliest beginning (Gen. 4:26) until the very end (Rev. 19:6-8), God's people call on, commune with, confess to and celebrate their God through their prayers. These prayers are as varied as the stars in the night sky. Some feel as if you're listening...
Keep ReadingPrayer is an amazing privilege. To think that Almighty God pays attention to our words is hard to believe, but true. And yet I find that many Christians struggle to pray. I certainly do. I am easily distracted and repetitive in what I say. And If I don't watch out, my prayers are quickly reduced to reading items on a shopping list instead of a genuine, heart to heart conve...
Keep ReadingI have a confession to make. I am a worrier. It's not that I find pleasure in being anxious, on the contrary. But I fall easily into the trap. When a perceived problem blips on the radar screen, often worry is my initial response. Perhaps you can't relate. But I know that many of you know exactly what I am talking about. Anxiety has different flavors. Some people worry ab...
Keep ReadingIt is God's will that we pray. The Bible is packed with exhortations, pleas and inspiring examples to that end. Time after time we're taught the urgency, necesssity and power of prayer. However, most of us struggle with prayer. Surveys show that the vast majority of Christians pray an average of five minutes or less a day. There is much room for growth. Over the years I ...
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