When the disciples asked the Lord Jesus to teach them to pray, He was not finished teaching when He gave them the famous model prayer recorded in Matthew 6. He would teach them by example, praying all night under the stars He made, on transfiguration mountain in the antechamber of heaven, even on the Cross […]
Prayer to and worship of our God and Father must surely be one of the Christian’s greatest privileges while here on earth. It is a privilege we need to appreciate and appropriate more. Prayer stems from the fact that we are still connected with earth; contrast worship, which originates in our connection with heaven. Like […]
Nehemiah was expert in both intense and impulse praying. Verse 4 of chapter 1 says, “I…prayed before the God of heaven”; verse 4 of chapter 2 says, “I prayed to the God of heaven”–but the two prayers were so different in form. In the first case, he had plenty of time to speak at some […]
In the words of Thomas Carlyle, “Prayer is and remains always the native and deepest impulse of the soul of man.” This instinct of prayer is universal, and idolatry is a proof of it. Among the most depraved tribes and savage peoples are found idols to which prayers and sacrifices are offered. The instinct of […]
There are perhaps seven functions of prayer: worship, praise, thanksgiving, confession, intercession, supplication, and advocacy. Most of these we are familiar with. However, there is one aspect perhaps not so commonly utilized–advocacy. This is one of the great ongoing ministries of the Lord Jesus “out of this world” on behalf of “His own…in the world.” […]
Variety is a divine principle in more than one realm, and a change of position may be as beneficial to the mind as to the body. Heart attitude is all-important, and unless the exterior is a true index of an interior state, it is of no worth. A physical attitude which embitters the mind, adopted […]
There is a hidden wisdom. Paul writes: “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” In the center of their being, God makes His own to know wisdom. They have an unction from above which teaches them of all things. “Knowest […]
It will be well to obtain, at the outset, a true conception of what is meant by confession. The use of the word in Scripture, together with illustrations, must be our guides. The Meaning of Confession A variety of ideas unite in this, such as candidness, definiteness, openness, truthfulness, and submissiveness. In the Old Testament, […]
God is once more calling His people loudly to a revival of faith in the divine efficacy of prayer. Will you and I respond to His call? That we may know what such a response may involve, may we let the Holy Spirit reveal to us the condition of our prayer life, and empower us […]