“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…
We Get To Pray
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into Heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just…
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…
The Prayer of Submission Brings God’s Benefits
Some people give God total access to the home of their being right away. Others leave Him standing in the entryway indefinitely. Many people do as I did and allow Him to gain entrance slowly. When He knocks on different doors inside you, just know that He will never bulldoze His way in and break…
If He Didn’t Forget, How Could We Pray?
If He Didn’t Forget, How Could We Pray? He Forgot I was thanking the Father today for His mercy. I began listing the sins He’d forgiven. One by one I thanked God for forgiving my stumbles and tumbles. My motives were pure and my heart was thankful, but my understanding of God was wrong. It…
Intercessory Prayer: How to Build a Bridge and Intercede for Others
Scripture tells us that when we say prayers of intercession, we are building bridges between God and the people for whom we pray. Remember, this isn’t just a prayer, it’s a deliberate action. It isn’t just saying words, it’s a construction project. In 1 Timothy 2:1–2, Paul writes: Therefore I exhort first of all that…
A Prayer That Is Centered on God
Editor’s Note: Enjoy this excerpt from beloved author Anne Graham Lotz (called the “best preacher in the family” by her father Reverend Billy Graham). The Daniel Prayer is based off the prayer of Daniel, who prayed on behalf of his nation, Judah, which had come under God’s judgment. Today, Lotz continues to utilize the Daniel prayer model to…
A Lesson in Perseverance… from a Yorkie
It had been a long weekend of delayed flights and short nights. I had finally gotten home, but Monday morning I could barely crawl out of bed. I think I was sleepwalking when I made myself a cup of coffee and headed out to the back patio with my three little dogs. And our ritual…
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…