Spiritual opposition is part and parcel of ordinary Christian life—and a focus for our prayers, as is evident by our Lord’s inclusion of it in His model prayer for us in Matthew 6:9-13. The very brevity of that prayer shows the importance of accounting for a spiritual enemy in our daily prayer. What difference […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Prayeranoia“I have surely seen the affliction of my people… and have heard their cry.” Those were God’s words to Moses in Exodus 3 as He prepared to take action on their behalf to lead them out of captivity in the land of Egypt. The scene describes a remarkable meeting of God with His appointed […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Hope Deferred, Faith AssailedAs part of my studies in college, I had to take a course in linguistics. I remember a professor explaining the Whorfian Hypothesis, which asserted that our concept of the world cannot exceed the limits of our language to describe it. In other words, only as we have the vocabulary to capture something can […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on When Words FailDoes God forgive our sins if we confess them? The answer requires some explanation, and some backstory. Sinners Saved By Grace Even our best intentions are infected by sin that remains in the flesh. All of us can identify with Paul in Romans 7 as he wrestles with that remaining sin. The line from […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Confession Prayer is Confessing PrayerWe often think it rather rude to lift ourselves up at the expense of others. We might grimace when our mother compares us to our sibling, telling us to “Look at Johnny. He always keeps his room clean. Why can’t you be more like your brother?” But learning through comparing ourselves with others has […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on The Prayer Life of Recovering Pharisees“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) I used to think that was a rhetorical question by our Lord, but now I’m not so sure. Jesus made that statement at the conclusion of the parable of the persistent widow (or parable of the unjust judge, depending […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Prayer, the Flu and the Fiscal CliffAbby of “Dear Abby” fame was asked a question that piqued my interest. One, because I wondered how Abby would answer it. Two, because I wondered how I would answer it. Three, because I wondered what God would say about it in His Word (hence the clever “Dear Abba” title—Romans 8:15). Here’s the question. […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Dear AbbaThe psalms are wonderful guides for our prayer. What besetting sin have you fallen into again—overspending, pornography, alcohol, gambling, gluttony? Psalms 51 or Psalm 32 could provide a template for your prayer, leading you in confession of your sin. Another prospect would be to employ Psalm 143 to take you by the hand and […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Using Psalm 143 as a Template for PrayerThe end of a calendar year brings a flood of communications and solicitations. I confess that amidst the avalanche that crosses my desk most go unread, many even unopened. Something in one I did open, however, caught my eye. It contained a brief article entitled, “Prayer Changes Things.” The Lord has been working mightily […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Prayer Changes Things – But What?I’m leading my congregation in growing as a house of prayer. What does that look like? Do we keep our doors open 24-7 so people can drop in to pray? Perhaps a prayer hotline fits the bill. What exactly is a house of prayer? That’s the question that piqued my curiosity. So I did […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on God’s Prayer Stimulus