Topic > Christian Living > Prayer >
Why unanswered prayers may be the very thing we actually need
Even though we love our kids, as parents we’re smart enough not to give our children everything they ask for! When it comes to prayer, our heavenly Father has a similar practice. A biblical perspective on prayer.
Discover why perseverance is so important when it comes to prayer!
It can be annoying when kids pester us with the same questions over and over again. But our heavenly Father welcomes such tenacious persistence from His children! An insightful lesson from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus’ claims about prayer in context of the entire Sermon on the Mount
Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive.” So why do some prayers seem to go unanswered? Will we receive everything we ask for?
In His Presence: Spending Time With God
Sometimes the hectic demands on your day can crowd out your time with God. Find out how you can develop a regular time of Bible reading and prayer, as author Dennis Fisher offers a practical guide to help you keep your appointments with God. You’ll gain a fresh perspective on your quiet time as an opportunity to reconnect with the God of grace who is waiting to spend time with you.
Wait On The Lord
With so many instantaneous forms of communication today, our impatience with hearing a reply from others is sometimes laughable. Someone I know sent an e-mail to his wife and then called her by cell phone because he couldn’t wait for a reply!
Sometimes we feel that God has let us down because He does not provide an immediate answer to a prayer. Often our attitude becomes, “Answer me speedily, O Lord; my spirit fails!” (Ps. 143:7).
Let’s turn to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to find out what makes us “good”
What makes a follower of Christ a “good” person? Is it how long they pray? How well they serve? Let's turn to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to answer this probing question.
A Plea For Prayer
A missionary recently visited the Bible study I was attending. She described what it had been like to pack up her household, part with friends, and relocate to a distant country. When she and her family arrived, they were greeted with a flourishing drug-trade and hazardous roadways. The language barrier brought on bouts of loneliness. They contracted four different stomach viruses. And her oldest daughter narrowly escaped death after falling through a railing on an unsafe stairwell. They needed prayer.
Praying Friends
I met my friend Angie for lunch after having not seen her for several months. At the end of our time together, she pulled out a piece of paper with notes from our previous get-together. It was a list of my prayer requests she had been praying for since then.
Crying Out To God
After all these years, I still don’t fully understand prayer. It’s something of a mystery to me. But one thing I know: When we’re in desperate need, prayer springs naturally from our lips and from the deepest level of our hearts.
Time Out
El Bulli restaurant, 2 hours north of Barcelona, is so popular that customers must reserve a table 6 months in advance. But noted Spanish chef Ferran Adrià decided to close the doors of his award-winning restaurant for 2 years so he and his staff could have time to think, plan, and innovate. Adrià told Hemispheres Magazine, “If we are winning all the prizes, why change? Working 15 hours a day leaves us very little time to create.” In the midst of great success, they took time out for what is most important to them.
Be Specific
On the day before a major surgery, I shared with my friend that I was really scared about the procedure. “What part scares you?” she inquired. “I’m just so afraid that I won’t wake up from the anesthesia,” I replied. Immediately, Anne prayed: “Father, you know all about Cindy’s fear. Please calm her heart and fill her with Your peace. And, Lord, please wake her up after surgery.”
The Circle Of The Wise
I used to serve on the elder board of a church in California. One elder, Bob Smith, who was older than most of us, frequently called us back to the Word of God for guidance.
Emotional Betrayals
Some years back, another man and I were reading together Matthew 26 about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “I know this much,” he told me as we read along, “if I’d been with Jesus in Gethsemane, I’d have had His back. No way would I have fallen asleep!” Indignant, he continued, “How could anyone fall asleep after hearing Jesus tell them how troubled He was? He was practically begging!” (v.38).
Find fresh focus for your prayer life!
Friday, October 12, 2012, Part 5
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).
IDEA: People pray that God’s will be done who have never thought about God’s will before.
PURPOSE: To help listeners sense the hypocrisy in requesting that God’s will be done.
Let’s look at the paradox of Christ’s return, and clear the confusion surrounding it
Thursday, October 11, 2012, Part 4
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).
IDEA: People pray that God’s will be done who have never thought about God’s will before.
PURPOSE: To help listeners sense the hypocrisy in requesting that God’s will be done.
