Posts Tagged ‘Prayer’
Prayer that Leads to Joy
The night before his crucifixion, Jesus prepared his disciples for the challenges they would experience when he left them (John 16:1-4, 31-33). He assured them that though he would leave them soon through death, he would return to them soon through the resurrection (John 16:19-22). By leaving them, he would make it possible for the…
Read MoreWhere 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…
Read MoreTreating 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…
Read MorePray 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…
Read MorePraying 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,…
Read MorePraying 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…
Read MoreSatan 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…
Read MorePrayer 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…
Read MoreTeach 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…
Read MorePraying, 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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