Once upon a time we lived in a house bordered by a fence upon which grapevines grew. Every summer, we watched these vines produce bunches and bunches of grapes. I wish I could say I turned those grapes into jellies and jams, but alas, that wasn’t the case. Without fail, furry masked bandits… [ read more ]
Posts Tagged: prayer
Our Prayers Don’t Have to be Long to be Heard
What’s prayer, anyway? I like J. I. Packer’s definition. “The prayer of a Christian is not an attempt to force God’s hand, but a humble acknowledgement of helplessness and dependence.” Prayer takes different forms. Sometimes it’s liturgical and recited aloud in a formal church setting. Sometimes it’s private, penned in one’s journal for only the… [ read more ]
Teach Me to Pray
Hey, my friend! Have you ever felt at a loss to know how to pray in certain circumstances? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve been there many times. I find encouragement in knowing that the disciples experienced the same frustration. That’s why they said to Jesus, “Teach us to pray.” Jesus’ response was filled… [ read more ]
Why Pray in the Power in Jesus’ Name?
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” ( ESV) How do you close your prayers? I usually say, “In Jesus name, amen.” Truth be told, I’m probably guilty of rattling off these words without much thought to their significance. It does me good to pause and… [ read more ]
Are You Fighting a Battle Today?
Would you do me a favor? Would you please raise your hand if you’ve ever had one of those nights when worrisome thoughts woke you and wouldn’t let you fall back to sleep? I just want to know that I’m not the only woman in the world who’s experienced this. It happened to… [ read more ]
Running to Our Good Father
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (NIV) Pause The story’s told of a king who called a meeting with his advisors. In the middle of their discussion, he noticed his daughter peering through the ajar door…. [ read more ]
God is Always on Time
Last evening, the women in my Zoom Bible study talked briefly about the timing of God’s provision for our needs. Based on personal experience and Biblical accounts, we all came to the same conclusion: He always provides for us. And that provision always comes at just the right time—not a moment too late, and never… [ read more ]
Prayer: What Works, What Doesn’t
God’s Word tells us to pray. Thankfully, it also gives us insights about what works and what doesn’t. What Doesn’t Work? Jesus has just finished telling the disciples about His immediate future: the Romans will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him with a whip, and kill Him. But three days later He… [ read more ]
A Prayer for Election Day
The U.S. election marks a significant day in world history. I’ll be honest—I feel as though anything I write for today’s blog might sound trite. As a result, I’m going to spend my words on prayer. Would you pray this with me, please? “Heavenly Father, we come to You with humble hearts acknowledging our… [ read more ]
Let’s Not Make Prayer Complicated
For years I felt like a freshman in the school of prayer. I felt I had so much to learn in order to do it right. If I missed the mark, my prayers would waste both my breath and God’s time, and my best intercessory efforts would score a failing grade. Sometimes we… [ read more ]
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