Words From Our Preacher

Why Are Our Prayers So Weak? Jesus prayed. Jesus prayed a lot. Jesus taught his students to pray and made some pretty remarkable claims about the power of prayer. Are we afraid to pray boldly? We’ve been assured that grace awaits. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Some translations have us drawing near with boldness. We can step boldly come before God’s throne for he

Prayer has always been the centerpiece of any relationship with God. Jesus, and his forerunner John,  were so given to prayer that Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). There was a time when prayer was deeply ingrained in the American mindset but that is just a distant memory. There was a time when mid-week assemblies were called prayer meetings. Of course, we still pray but there is a noticeable lack of dependence on prayer. Why? You Aren’t Prayin

Readers know I’m not much for politics, especially as it pertains to the church. But there is an event happening this week that Christians should be in fervent prayer about. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean President Kim Jung Un are meeting to discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula. That is a big deal. During my youth, we worried about a nuclear conflict with the Soviets. In truth, it was pretty unlikely. Both sides were balanced, and nei

“Is there any word from the Lord?” – Jeremiah 37:17 The young man’s face betrayed the tension that lay beneath his words. “I believe in God, and I pray every day. But for some reason, God isn’t answering my prayers.” His words became softer as he continued, “I guess I’m doing something wrong.” His plight is not different from that of many Christians. In times of trouble, our petitions seem to fall upon a deafened Divine. Our expectations are unmet. Sadness, confusion, and des

The locus classicus seems to be Luke 18:1-8: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’  For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me

Pray for America Because It Is Our Duty The principle of praying for those in authority is laid down by the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:2-4: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved an

A good Christian is nothing if not thankful. Our example and savior, Jesus, demonstrated his thankfulness to God through his often prayers (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21; John 11:41). The psalmist wrote: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1) “Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.” (Psalm 30:4) “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks t

As I write this morning I am sitting in our front room looking out onto two bird feeders. It’s still early morning, the shadows are slowly retreating, and I expect the arrival of the birds soon. They are so small and delicate. Yet they weather every storm without harm. For them, food never seems to be an issue. Even when I let the feeders empty they still seem to find food somewhere. The neighborhood cat patrols the area, but I have never seen him with one in his mouth. God t

God promises to help and hear the prayer of his children. He promises to give all that we need in any circumstance (Luke 11:5-13; Ephesians 3:30). But it just feels a bit hypocritical to foul things up and then say, “God, fix it!” Fortunately, God doesn’t look at it that way. I think of King David, the beloved psalter of Israel who may have headed the most dysfunctional family in the Bible. Almost every problem David faced after becoming king was directly related to some flaw

God is alive and active in the world today. He reaches into the natural world from his supernatural throne and affects the lives of men and the course of history. Prayer is the means by which men ask God to intervene in their lives. While we do not believe in the existence of true biblical miracles today, we do believe that God acts providentially on behalf of his children. This so-called providence is the subject of this article. For this article we define providence as God

Prayer is a vital moment in the life of every Christian. The importance of prayer cannot be overstated. It is just too important. Christians who do not prayer fervently do not receive the full measure of God’s power in their lives. Jesus, God himself, prayed often and set an example for us. Despite its importance we deprive ourselves of the privilege of prayer. I fear that this loss is nowhere as evident as in Bible study and meditation. God’s word is true because God is the

I confess. I am pretty angry at the way things are going in the world. People who reject Jesus as the Son of God are violently attacking people and places in the name of a false prophet. Representatives of the country that assures my (and their) freedom to worship are brutalized and murdered. Yes, I am angry. The challenge for me is to avoid stepping downward from anger to madness and hatred. It is not easy. God filled man with emotions which run from ecstasy to melancholy to

Elijah demonstrates the power of prayer. “…the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (James 16-18) And then there is this well known passage, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be o

God hears prayers. Do we hear God? When God speaks He speaks loudly. But sometimes He seems so far away. We have real and immediate problems and we pray for his guidance yet it never seems to come. If God really cares then he shouldn’t seem so far away. God loves us deeply and cares immensely for us. Could it be that we are not really listening? Or maybe God is not saying the things we want to hear so we filter Him out. Communication requires both a sender and a receiver. The

David is one of the best known Bible characters. He was a young shepherd boy, a noble warrior and the King over God’s people. Today David is still honored by Christians and Jews alike. We forget that David was also a sinner. He was an adulterer, a murderer and the head of a horribly dysfunctional family. (2 Samuel 11; 2 Samuel 13; 2 Samuel 15). David was also known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). I was reading in Psalms this morning and carefully

We have been challenged to speak to God every day. Prayer is essential to the Christian and each of us should spend time daily in prayer to God. While prayers over a meal, a blessing, is good and should continue, our prayer life must become more intense and deeper. Like phone calls to a dear friend, our prayer time should be a moment we look forward to with fondness and anticipation. Prayer is a Privilege Anyone can say a prayer. A corrupt, immoral, impenitent man can call on

One of the greatest gifts God gives his people is the privilege of prayer. Like a beneficent father bending his ear toward his child, God listens to our prayers and responds appropriately. I am a Christian because I believe in the power of prayer in my life. When we worry that God is not answering our prayers we really mean that he did not say “yes” to our request. It is often true that we are better off when God says no than when he says yes. God answers prayer – it’s just n