Do you know someone who is difficult to love? The nosy neighbor. The grouchy grocery store clerk. Your child’s teacher who never cracks a smile. The hot-tempered boss. The church curmudgeon. Here are some things to keep in mind as you try to share the love with them. PRAY. PRAY. AND THEN PRAY SOME MORE.…
When You Believe in God but Not in Prayer
A pastor once asked his church to pray that God would shut down a neighborhood bar. The whole church gathered for an evening prayer meeting, pleading with God to rid the neighborhood of the evils of this bar. A few weeks later, lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. Having heard about…
Ask for Prayer and Pray for Others
Don’t Forget Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me. — Romans 15:30 The apostle Paul was traveling from Corinth to Jerusalem with money for the Jerusalem church. Knowing the Jews in Jerusalem would…
Pray Until Something Happens: The King’s Speech
Where the word of a king is, there is power; and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” — Ecclesiastes 8:4 In the 2010 Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech, actor Colin Firth plays the part of King George VI, whose ascension to the throne of Great Britain would be accompanied by his severe…
“Hello”
This, then, is how you should pray. — Matthew 6:9 Most of us won’t remember the first conversation we had with our horses, but it had to have started with some form of “Hello.” I like to say hello with a brush. Brushing horses builds trust between both human and horse. Brushing makes the horse…
Why, When, and How Should We Pray?
Why Should We Pray? God insists that we ask, not because He needs to know our situation, but because we need the spiritual discipline of asking. — Catherine Marshall Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. — Philippians 4:6 So I say…
Why I Stopped Saying ‘I Will Pray For You’
I’ve come to the place where I have had to stop telling people, “I’ll pray for you.” I simply know that despite my good intentions — and these promises are almost always spoken with good intent — I know that nine times out of ten I just don’t remember to follow through. Not until maybe…
Your Prayers Have Power
God’s Promise When a believing person prays, great things happen. — James 5:16 NCV I accompanied Denalyn on some errand running recently. We stopped at a store called OfficeMax so she could buy a calendar. As we walked through the parking lot, I pointed at the sign and said, “Honey, this is my store. OfficeMax!”…
Quit Praying!
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”— Matthew 25:23 One of the defining moments in my prayer life happened a decade ago. I was in a small group with a friend who worked for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Georgetown University. Jeremy was working on a shoestring budget, and their campus ministry needed a computer. He shared…
Starting Off the New Year Right: Pray Like Jesus Did
Mountainside Prayer After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. — Matthew 14:23 Do you ever feel like your day is just too hectic to squeeze in time alone with God? We all have days like that, don’t we? It turns out that even Jesus occasionally had to…