A couple in their sixties is walking along the beach when they spy an object hidden in the sand. They uncover it, knock the sand off, and identify it as an old, old lamp. Before they know it—POOF! —a genie appears to grant them three wishes. They would like to travel the world they tell him andContinue reading “Praying Wisely”
Category Archives: prayer
A Picture Of Prayer
The story of Hezekiah can be found in 2 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. Hezekiah was a good man who lived during a bad time. Nonetheless, he stood for God and made sweeping religious reforms in Israel’s worship. He went after the high places (often neglected by other “good” kings), sacred stones, and Asherah poles. He evenContinue reading “A Picture Of Prayer”
Wearing God Down
There’s a popular belief that if disciples pray hard enough about something and with enough faith, it will happen. After all, didn’t Jesus say something about having faith and moving mountains? Therefore, if we just get enough people with enough faith to pray hard enough about something, God will give us our heart’s desire—right? ChurchContinue reading “Wearing God Down”
Israel, the Pharisees, and Prayer
Israel wanted a king (1 Samuel 8)! There were some legitimate reasons why they needed a king. A king would help them to be something more than the loose confederation of tribes that they were—characterized by infighting and the failure to come to the aid of each other when under attack (see the book of Judges).Continue reading “Israel, the Pharisees, and Prayer”
Giving God Fast Prayers
It’s important to note that the record of Jesus’ teaching that Matthew relates to us in 6:1-18, is given in response to Pharisaical abuses (5:20,21,27,31,33,38,43). If the “hypocrites” of 6:2,5,16 aren’t exclusively Pharisees, it certainly would include them (see 23:13,15,23,25,27,29). So we shouldn’t approach the text as an open forum on the subjects of giving, fasting, andContinue reading “Giving God Fast Prayers”
“God Answered Our Prayer!”
“God answered our prayer!” we proclaim as someone who has been in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers is brought to better circumstances. We mean well by such a statement. We mean to bring glory to our Father and recognize what He has done. But the truth is, these words can be a poor way of expressing our joy. Church bulletins,Continue reading ““God Answered Our Prayer!””
Nice Prayers or Good Prayers?
When we have prayed over every wart, pimple, and problem of people both known and unknown, have we really ministered to them? Have we done what God would have us to do for them? Is this the essence of what the church is to be about? Curiously, there’s nothing in the New Testament to sanction the fervorContinue reading “Nice Prayers or Good Prayers?”
Prayer And The Sick
Sometimes our prayers for the sick aren’t very healthy. You may never have thought about this, but it can be a challenge to pray for the sick in a way that honors them and God. Since prayer is not just about expressing what’s on our heart, but also what’s on God’ heart, our prayers forContinue reading “Prayer And The Sick”
Merging Our Letter With God’s (2)
Hayley Smith and Harrison Waldron met at Harding University, married in 2014 and graduated the following spring. That summer while attending a wedding in New York, Harrison was involved in an ATV accident. The injuries he received cause immediate death 90% of the time but he survived and was med-flighted to Erie, Pennsylvania. Today, overContinue reading “Merging Our Letter With God’s (2)”
Merging Our Letter With God’s (1)
Hezekiah’s prayer in the temple is a powerful example of reliance upon God. Hezekiah was a righteous king who nonetheless had a penchant for trusting in foreign alliances rather than Yahweh. In order to protect Judah from the Assyrians, he made alliances with Egypt (2 Kings 18:21) and Babylon (Isaiah 39 along with 2 ChroniclesContinue reading “Merging Our Letter With God’s (1)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 