Don’t panic. This has to do with performance anxiety, not lack of love for God. Imagine the pressure. All eyes are on you; you are expected to P-R-A-Y… surely there are some pretty important rules about praying. What if you break one of them? Or… maybe it goes like this: What could be more intimate …
“You are worthy, O Lord our God,to receive glory and honor and power.For you created all things,and they exist because you created what you pleased” (Revelation 4:11). The sight of our Exalted God and Resurrected Glorified Christ must be so overwhelming that the only logical response is extravagant praise and worship. A glimpse into the …
Living a life of prayer means actively and intentionally opening ourselves to God’s Spirit every day and cooperating with his will. Most of us categorize our lives in segments: home life, work life, leisure life and even prayer life. Years ago God began to show me that I didn’t have to settle for just “having …
“[He] fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might prove you, to do good for you in the end” (Deut. 8:16). Moses is reviewing with the people how God’s care has been evident as they wandered through the desert toward the promise. Read …
Because He yielded Himself in every way to the Spirit’s leading to be the vehicle for the Father’s work, Jesus exuded power. He showed how a life permeated with the power of the Spirit spilled over as rivers of living water to those around Him. Every area of His humanity was a conduit for the …
“He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.” (Deut. 8:16). Moses is reviewing with the people how God’s care has been evident as they wandered through the desert toward the promise. Read it for yourself. Remember how the …
“He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you” (Deut. 8:16). Moses is reviewing with the people how God’s care has been evident as they wandered through the desert toward the promise. …
Why God Sends You Through a Season in the Desert Read More »
Some time ago, a California woman, Teri Horton, bought an abstract painting from a junk store for $5. Ten years later she discovered that the “junk” she purchased was possibly an original Jackson Pollock painting that could be worth more than $10 million. Let’s project our imaginations into the future and suppose that Ms. Horton …
When Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20, NIV), he declared the person he used to be dead. His dependence on his own strength had been broken, so the life flowing through him was the life of Christ. Brokenness is a prerequisite …
I have been learning about, teaching about and writing about a praying life for several decades now. It is the grid through which I view life. It has been so transformative for me that I have spent all my adult life sharing the concept with others. I still remember when the phrase came to …
“The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself …
Jesus expected His disciples to fast. He told them, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, …
“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed” (Mark 5:28, NIV). In the kingdom, no individual is small. No one gets lost in the crowd. One person, even one society has labeled worthless or impure, looms large in the Father’s sight. The power of one small, helpless, unspoken plea. In Mark 5:21–43, tucked into the Gospel, …
I realized something this morning that I had not seen quite so clearly before. It jumped out and surprised me today. I was considering that the power of God’s Word, which created the universe, is as powerful now as it was in the beginning. When God says “Let there be … ,” molecules accumulate into …
“You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” (Ps. 4:7-8). Harvest time was an occasion for rejoicing and celebration, the evidence of God’s favor and the assurance of provision …
