Where Two or Three are Gathered

Sometimes we use phrases in ways that differ from their original meaning. For instance, you’ve heard the phrase, “Blood is thicker than water.” You probably think it means something like, “Family relationships are stronger than other relationships.” Indeed, that is how people commonly use the phrase today. You might be surprised to know that this…

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Treating Trauma with Prayer

As a fire service chaplain I have been exposed to extreme forms of crises most pastors never encounter.  Frequently I have to minister to the victims of these tragedies as well as to the firefighters themselves. To better equip myself for this unique ministry, I have attended several conferences dealing with trauma and stress.  The…

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Pray in the Spirit

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open…

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Praying Biblically for Your Missionary — Protection (Part 2)

The world is a dangerous place, especially for a Christian. Recall the battles, enemies, and temptations that Pilgrim faced in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress as he made his way to the Celestial City. In our last issue we considered some of the dangers as we noted that the fearless Apostle Paul asked prayer for protection,…

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Praying Biblically for Your Missionary — Protection

Have you ever been shipwrecked? Probably not. Have you ever been robbed? Maybe. Have you ever been stoned for your faith in Christ? Not likely. But besides some of these dangerous experiences, Paul could truthfully and almost matter-of-factly say that he had been “in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine…

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Satan Does Not Mind Christians Praying … Sort of

One of C.S. Lewis’s enjoyable reads is his Screwtape Letters, a collection of “letters” written by a senior demon to his understudy, his nephew demon. These letters are instructions of how to seek to undermine the effectiveness of the nephew’s Christian “patient.” You can purchase the book here, and a nice dramatized version by Focus…

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Prayer and the Glory — The Glory! — of God

John 17 might be the least explored peak of all the Bible’s grand vistas. And for good reason: the high priestly prayer is marvelously interwoven. Using only elementary vocabulary, Jesus staggers human capacity to articulate theology with phrases like, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father are in me, and I in…

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Teach Us to Pray

FrontLine  | July/August 2018 When setting out to put together this issue of FrontLine, we regularly encountered an objection from prospective writers. Not, “Sorry brother, I just can’t make any more commitments at this time,” but, “Brother, I just don’t feel adequate to write on that topic.” I sympathize with this objection. Who really feels…

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Praying, Praying, Praying

Praying at All Times When Paul says, “Praying always,” he encourages believers to pray all the time (Eph 6:18). He further portrays this as “being watchful,” which means to “stay awake.” He also portrays this as “with all perseverance,” which means, “to be persistent.” To take this emphatic encouragement to heart, a believer should learn…

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Help for Our Failings in Corporate Prayer

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people. And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked for this thing (I Kings 3:9-12). After prayer, have you ever asked yourself whether…

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