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?”

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”

Sharing the Good News of Jesus (Part 3)

“And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.”  (Mark 5:17 NLT) One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Mark 5, when Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. The man lived in a cemetery and the demons had made him so powerful that even shackles couldn’t hold him.Continue reading “Sharing the Good News of Jesus (Part 3)”

Who Is Jesus? (Part 3)

“The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord…” (Luke 2:11a NLT) Let’s begin today where we left off yesterday. Jesus is our… Proven Provider Jesus can be trusted to provide everything you need, now and forever. He said in Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He willContinue reading “Who Is Jesus? (Part 3)”

What Does New Life in Christ Look Like?

“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” (Philippians 1:21 NLT) The Apostle Paul’s words above challenge us, but no one can live a Christ-like life without Jesus. Being yoked (partnered) with Him and being filled with His Holy Spirit is the ONLY way anyone can begin to walk inContinue reading “What Does New Life in Christ Look Like?”

Following Jesus’ Model Prayer

“Pray like this…” (Matthew 6:9a NLT) Yesterday we looked at what I think of as the “heartbeat of prayer.” Today I’d like us to look at more of the “mechanics of prayer.” In Matthew 6:5-8 Jesus outlines some things we shouldn’t do when we pray. When prayer becomes an end in itself, it isn’t conversationContinue reading “Following Jesus’ Model Prayer”