'August 2022' Tagged Posts

Prayer is a privilege. Indeed, prayer is a spiritual blessing enjoyed by those who are in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:11-18; 3:12; cf. Heb. 14:14-16; 10:19-22). We are assured that “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are upon unto their prayers” (1 Pet. 3:12; cf. John 9:31; Ps. 65:2; Pro. 15:8, 29). How comforting to know that when we approach our heavenly Father, He will both hear and regard our words. And yet, if there…

God has blessed us by revealing and preserving certain prayers in the scriptures. These accounts enlighten and encourage those who will carefully examine them. Paul’s prayer recorded for us in Ephesians 3:14-21 summarizes many of the core ideas of the book and provides a midpoint for this letter. Paul’s writing to the Ephesians splits nicely into two sections—the first three chapters focus on the beauty of the church and the last three chapters focus on the duty of the church.…

The Psalmist said, “He gives the barren woman a home; making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord” (Ps 113:9). In 1 Samuel, we are introduced to Hannah, a woman of God who is deeply afflicted by the fact that her womb is closed by the Lord (1 Sam 1:5,10). As a result, she would carry her supplications and anxieties to the Lord; she prayed for a son, one whom she could devote to the service of the…

If we count the three times Jesus addressed the Father from the cross, there are ten New Testament examples of Jesus praying.  His example clearly impressed His disciples, since it motivated them to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).  The most detailed example of Jesus praying is in John 17, often described as His “high priestly” prayer.  This particular prayer — offered after Judas departed the last supper, but before our Lord and His disciples reached Gethsemane —…

Prayer is a marvelous privilege granted to the people of God (1 Pet. 3:12), and yet it is one of the more neglected tools in our spiritual toolbox. Every Christian should desire to learn more about prayer so that we may excel in this great spiritual discipline. First Timothy 2:1-7 is one of many passages that will help us in that endeavor. Consider five brief points concerning prayer from this context.  First, Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer in the…