The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. — James 5:16 Sometimes I’m scared to pray boldly. It’s not at all that I don’t believe God can do anything. I absolutely do. I’m a wild-about-Jesus girl. Wild in my willingness. Wild in my obedience. Wild in my adventures with God. So my hesitation…
How Long Should You Pray for Something?
I have often been asked, “Pastor Ronnie, how long should I pray for something?” I do not believe there is a Christian anywhere in the world today who has not asked at one time or another, “How long should I pray for something?” Years ago, some began to teach that if you really had enough…
Answering Our Own Prayers
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” — Luke 11:1 ESV A group of teenagers and I sat cross-legged on the church lawn, soaking in the warm summer sunshine. One of the girls…
Praying to Move On with the Lord
“I’m still on shaky ground,” I said to myself as I drove to church one Sunday morning nearly a year after coming to know the Lord. Even though my life was much improved, I still had this uneasy feeling that at any moment I could lose the stability I’d gained. I feared that my glimpses…
Pray for Greater Love
One of the most productive things we can do to pursue a life beyond amazing is to read Paul’s prayers for the churches he was involved with. He didn’t pray for greater attendance, bigger offerings, or even more people becoming Christians. When we examine his prayers, we discover something far more challenging. For instance, to…
Pray Pray Pray: How to Hug a Porcupine and Squeeze a Skunk
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…