Lately, I’ve become consciously aware of a major hindrance in my life, though it’s been poking and prodding my subconscious for a while. It’s a mindset that reduces my effectiveness in various ways, not the least of which is in prayer. Just writing this article emphasized the problem, as I had to write it (not [...]
James 5:16 NIV The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. When the results of what we pray don’t match what we asked for or declared, what seems to be the logical conclusion, based on this verse? That we are not righteous, or at least not righteous enough. Then we look inward [...]
It’s really difficult to remove all the sticky residue off your shoe after stepping on a discarded piece of chewing gum, even when the solid part is gone. This is especially true when that gum was softening in the heat before you stepped on it, allowing the stickiness to reach its full quality. Every lift [...]
Jesus was in the right place, doing the right thing, saying the right thing, praying the right prayer, and having the right attitude . . . always. Because He humbled Himself to live in mortal human form1, we know He lived fully as man, with the same limitations we face, not drawing on His divinity. [...]
What is it about intercessors? While we are all unique, I suspect more than a few of you share one common trait with me. I am so accustomed to receiving prayer requests from others that I hesitate to make my own needs known to others. Is it pride? Does it just go with the territory [...]
This is not what I wanted to write about this month. After all, there is major upheaval in the nations of the Middle East and North Africa! The obvious message would involve praying for God’s plans and purposes to be fulfilled at His perfect time and in His perfect way, but I wasn’t released to [...]
I knew by the Spirit my friend was frustrated – very frustrated. His heart’s desire was to do the Father’s will in every part of his life. Though he had invested much time, effort, and expense in making major changes according to what he thought was the Lord’s leading, it seemed as though nothing had [...]
Have you ever prayed only because you know it is part of being a Christian, but your heart’s not in it? The whole time you pray, your mind is elsewhere, perhaps thinking about what you will do as soon as you finish praying. While we all go through this from time to time, this has [...]
The request I had received was simple. Pray for believers in a particular land, where the political situation is unstable, asking the Lord to use the church to bring real peace to the nation. My heart was immediately connected, as this is certainly God’s will for any nation – to bring His peace through His [...]
A massive and continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, officials seemingly without solutions. Hurricane season in full swing, creating the potential for even greater havoc in the Gulf. The economy refusing to bounce back, regardless of how much money has been thrown at it. Reports of the return of the killer H1N1 flu. [...]
