Last week, we talked about the model prayer from Matthew 6, that many call “The Lord’s Prayer.” I think it is more fitting to call Jesus’ prayer in the garden “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is His prayer. As He prepares Himself to give His life and take on the sins of the world onto the cross, He prays a heartfelt prayer for His mission, for His disciples and for all believers.
Continue reading “The Lord’s Prayer; no, not that one”
Category: Prayer
Prayers of the Bible: The Model Prayer
I thought I would switch gears a bit and discuss something many of us fall short of: Prayer. As you look through the Bible, there are many prayers. Some are short, some are long. All are heart-felt and sincere (except for one that I can remember where the Pharisee is praying that he is not like the sinner before him who is praying with sincerity…that is a good lesson for another time). If you have never watched the movie, The War Room,” you should. Powerful movie. Be sure to get the DVD and watch the bonus features. They provide a lot of insight and lessons from the movie. One thing I remember from one of these is that every church need to be ‘a praying church,’ not just a church that prays. Prayer should be a center activity in our lives and in our churches. Paul says, “pray without ceasing.” Whatever you are going through, good or bad, pray about it. If someone around you needs prayer, be an intercessor for that person. Seek out who needs prayer and pray for them.
So, what is prayer and how do we pray? I think there are many ways to pray. Sometimes it is just a short sentence praying for someone or something going on. Other times it is thanking God for all His goodness and remembering who He is. It may be confessing a sin or struggle you may have or asking for healing or comforting for yourself or someone you know. It is simply talking with God. What do you think? Do you have any experience in your prayer life you would like to share? Prayers answered? Frustrations? Questions? Please comment. Continue reading “Prayers of the Bible: The Model Prayer”
When You Have a Crisis
When we are struggling, when things are hard, when we have a crisis? What is the first thing we do? How do we try to fix it? So often we try to take care of it on our own. In my experience, this can often lead to disaster. Sometimes they work out for a while, but most of the time we find out that we need help. Why don’t we start there? We trust God. Do we show it? Is God our priority? Do we turn to Him fist for everything? As I was reading Daniel this week, I realized there is a lot we can learn from him: Continue reading “When You Have a Crisis”
The Bible and Prayer
Next on our list of how believers can grow in their faith is reading God’s word and spending time with our Lord.
- Be in the word and in prayer daily. Not just as a routine, but dive into it to be closer to God and to know Him better. Know what God’s will is for you.
Why Go to Church?
Why do we go to church? I saw a post on Facebook about how people don’t need to go to church every Sunday to worship God as long as they believe in God, or something like that. The statement is partially true. It is not a sin to miss church, I don’t think, but if you are able, you should be there. You need the church body and the church body needs you. It is not a ticket to heaven, either. We are saved by grace through faith, not going to church. But, being part of a church is an act of worship and it brings you into a family that will encourage you, teach you, strengthen you, pray for you. These are things to look for when finding a home along with sound biblical teaching. Also, though, we should not go there expecting to be fed all the time. As we go, we need to look for ways that we can serve the church and do all those things for others. The church is not a place. It is a people. It is you and me. It is believers. It is the body of Christ. Continue reading “Why Go to Church?”
My Daily Scriptures 