Tag Archives: Prayer

God’s Heart in Worship

Posted on by
Reply
Photo by Pedro Lima on Unsplash
9  Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
     Give to the Lord glory and strength.
10 Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
     Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
11 Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
     Tremble before Him, all the earth.
(Psalm 96:7–9, NKJV)

Psalm 96 has been a favorite of mine for several years. Recently, as I was prayerfully reflecting on it, verses 7–9 really stood out to me. What I noticed was that, quite literally in the heart of the Psalm (this middle of five stanzas), the Psalmist has poetically captured a sense of God’s heart in our worship. Here, I’d like to mention three details the Lord has impressed upon my heart from these three verses.

Continue reading →

Lest You Enter into Temptation

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by El Greco on Wikimedia Commons
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. (Luke 22:41–43; NKJV)

Jesus’ Passover observance with the Twelve was the last time He and the Twelve were altogether. Toward the end of the meal, Jesus released Judas to carry out the plans he had already committed his heart to do (John 13:18–30). A few hours later, in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives (Mark 14:32; Luke 22:39), Judas arrived with “a multitude” to arrest Jesus, betraying Him “with a kiss” (Luke 22:47–48).

Continue reading →

Year in Review, 2024 Edition

Posted on by
Reply
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
9  Remember the former things of old,
   For I am God, and there is no other;
   I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
   And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
   Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
   And I will do all My pleasure,’
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
   The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
   Indeed I have spoken it;
   I will also bring it to pass.
   I have purposed it;
   I will also do it.
(Isa 46:9–11; NKJV)

Over and over again, Scripture calls us to remember what God has said and done. Remembering gives us a chance to reflect deeply about God and His work in our lives. It calls to mind the evidence of God’s faithfulness to His promises and His people, which gives us wisdom for the present and hope for the future.

Continue reading →

If Anyone Comes to Me

Posted on by
Reply
Engraving by Émile Rouargue on Welcome Collection
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:25–27; NKJV)

In Luke chapter 14, Jesus brings His teaching about following Him full circle. Most of the chapter takes place in the house of a ruler of the Pharisees on the Sabbath. Jesus makes clear that following Him means forsaking the things of the world and wholeheartedly committing to the plans and purposes of God in our lives.

Continue reading →

Do Not Worry

Posted on by
Reply
Etching by Jan Luyken on WikiCommons
Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? (Luke 12:22–26, NKJV)

Much of Jesus’ teaching toward the end of His earthly ministry stressed the same themes He taught earlier in His ministry. We saw this with the question of prayer in Luke 11. We see this again with the issue of worry in Luke 12:22–26. In these verses, Jesus reminds us that His followers do not make worldly provisions and riches our highest priority—our minds and hearts are focused on the plans and purposes of God.

Continue reading →

Keep Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

Posted on by
Reply
Illustration by Gustave Doré on WikiCommons
So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:9–13; NKJV)

As Jesus continued his journey to Calvary, he retreated in prayer. When He had finished, one of His disciples asked him to teach them to pray, just as John the Baptist had done for his disciples. Jesus made a habit of retreating from the crowds to pray (e.g., 6:12; 9:18, 28).1 He was a man of prayer, and His disciples desired to emulate His prayer life.

Continue reading →

God Hears Your Prayers

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by Luca Giordano on AKG-Images
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. (Luke 1:13–14; NKJV)

Have you ever prayed to God repeatedly about something deeply affecting your inner-most being? Maybe a personal life concern like marriage or family? Or a work life situation like education or job opportunities? Or maybe interceding for a loved one’s health or life circumstances? Do not lose heart—as we see in the life of Zacharias, God hears our prayers.

Continue reading →