“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 NLT) Peace is a familiar theme in this season of the year. When the angel came to the shepherds to announce the Savior’s birth, the Bible says: “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host ofContinue reading “The Peace of Prayer”
Monthly Archives: December 2021
When Prayer Becomes Pleasure
“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God.” (Psalm 42:1 NLT) My wife and I have two dogs – a Pug and a mixed-breed we rescued. We love them, but they’re a lot of work. They both love attention and affection, but our Pug’s greatest delight is .Continue reading “When Prayer Becomes Pleasure”
Why Do We Neglect Prayer?
“Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears.” (Psalm 39:12a NLT) Sometimes we get so busy with the work of the Lord, we forget the Lord of the work, until there’s a crisis! Then He’s all we can think about. Why is it prayer is often our lastContinue reading “Why Do We Neglect Prayer?”
When Prayer is Hard
“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.” (Romans 8:26a NLT) Has this Christmas season been hard? Perhaps a severe loss has you grieving. I get it. Pain is a tremendous deterrent to celebration. It’s as though life has been sucked out of us. Even as Jesus followers, we’re not exempt from the anguishContinue reading “When Prayer is Hard”
Persevere in Prayer
“Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (Romans 12:12b NLT) While reading Scott Walker’s book, Glimpses of God (page 48) I read these words: “When I was a boy, I heard my father preach about a perilous moment in the life of the evangelist, Dwight L Moody. Moody had been in Europe and was sailing across theContinue reading “Persevere in Prayer”
The Language of Prayer
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3 NLT) Jesus told a story in Luke 18:9-14 about two men who went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, a very religious Jewish man, and the other was, in Jesus’ words: “a despised tax collector.” TheContinue reading “The Language of Prayer”
Trouble at the Inn by Dina Donohue
For years now whenever Christmas pageants are talked about in a certain little town in the Midwest, someone is sure to mention the name of Wallace Purling. Wally’s performance in one annual production of the Nativity Play has slipped into the realm of legend. But the old timers who were in the audience that nightContinue reading “Trouble at the Inn by Dina Donohue”
God Is With Us
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means, ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23 NSRV) Over the last few days, we’ve been looking at the birth of Jesus and asking some questions. For example, knowing it was Jesus in the manger, we’ve been trying to getContinue reading “God Is With Us”
No Longer Alone
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23 NLT) In the opening verses of the Bible, we see the process of creation. The pre-existent Jesus, long before He would allow Himself to become a babyContinue reading “No Longer Alone”
Why Mary?
“’Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God!’” (Luke 1:30 NLT) Try to imagine being a young girl, likely not more than thirteen, engaged to be married to a man your parents have chosen for you, when an angel suddenly appears to you and announces you’re going toContinue reading “Why Mary?”
Walking With Jesus 