There are three kinds of prayer I try to find time for every day -- meditation (or contemplation), petition, and repentance. I concentrate on the first two every morning and do the last one in the evening.
Tag Archives: Prayer
Why Have Confidence in Prayer?
July 7, 2010 – 9:53 PM
It is amazing to consider that we are children of the living God who have come to the Father through the beloved Son, Jesus. Since the Father delights in His one and only Son, He also delights in us who have been adopted through the Son. And if He does not withhold any good thing from His Son, He will not withhold any good thing from us. After all, He has already given us the greatest treasure—Jesus Christ, the beloved. Why would He withhold anything else (Romans 8:32)?
"The Lord's Prayer" & the Lord's Prayer in Gethsemane
June 22, 2010 – 12:47 PM
Here is an idea for a quick but fruitful Bible study: read "the Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13) alongside the Lord's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). As commentators have noted, there are several verbal parallels between the two passages: "our/my Father" (6:9; 26:39, 42), "into temptation" (6:13; 26:41), and "your will be done" [...]
The Practice of Prayer in the Throne Room of God
May 13, 2010 – 2:26 PM
The writer to the Hebrews tells us to “draw near [with confidence] to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Here are 7 observations to encourage us to persevere in our practice of prayer.
Three Main Steps to Starting Family Worship
April 27, 2010 – 2:21 PM
When I first discovered the tradition of family worship, it was a real breakthrough for me and my family. Although it took a while to get past the awkwardness of the moment, since we had not done this before, it is well worth the effort. But to start off, we need to keep it very simple.
A Prayer About the God We Know
April 21, 2010 – 7:53 AM
In case you missed Scotty's prayer from Monday, I'm reposting it here. For today, as on Monday, we need to know the God we know. *** May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5 May the God of hope fill you with [...]
Praying About Health Care Reform
March 23, 2010 – 8:35 AM
With all the noise around the country yesterday and today about health care (and no sign of it quieting any time soon) it is good to pause and pray. But regardless of your position on the new health care bill, how should Christians pray? Scotty Smith charted the gospel-centered course yesterday in his Heavenward blog. [...]
Proverbs: A Mini-Guide to Life
March 16, 2010 – 8:13 PM
In my regular, daily Bible reading over the past year I read through Proverbs 3, a passage I've studied and preached through many times. But during this reading, I realized that in verses 3 through 12 we have all the themes of the rest of the book, and therefore a kind of mini-guide to faithful living. There are five things that comprise a wise, godly life. They function both as means to becoming wise and godly as well as signs that you are growing into such a life.
Be Not Afraid
March 4, 2010 – 4:15 PM
This morning I went back to a prayer that my friend Scotty penned recently -- a prayer about fear. It’s so natural to be afraid even though the Bible tells us over 300 times "be not afraid.” Scotty’s prayer gets to the heart of why Christians can live fearlessly. He quotes Revelation 1:17-18: He placed his right hand on me and [...]
Praying with One Another: Lessons from the Life of David Brainerd
March 2, 2010 – 1:38 PM
David Brainerd (1718-1747) was a missionary to the Native Americans of New York. He died of Tuberculosis in Jonathan Edwards’ home. Two years later Edwards published The Life of David Brainerd, which consists almost entirely of Brainerd’s journal entries. Brainerd’s Life has been influential on countless missionaries after him. It had a major impact on people like William Carey, Henry Martyn, and Jim Elliot.