Tag: prayer
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Praying the Promise Back to God – Genesis 32:11-12
Genesis 32:11-12Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot…
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From Panic to Prayer – Genesis 32:9-10
Genesis 32:9-10And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou…
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The Long Detour of Human Help – Genesis 27:41-45
Genesis 27:41-45 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called…
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The Blessing We Still Need – Genesis 27:38
Genesis 27:38And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. Esau had treated the birthright like it was nothing. Though it carried a double portion, he sold it off for a bowl of beans as…
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A Barren Season That Didn’t Stay That Way – Genesis 25:19-21
Genesis 25:19–21And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac: And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord was…
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When You Cannot Preach, You Can Still Pray – Genesis 20:17-18
Genesis 20:17, 18So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife. This is such a gracious turn in the story. Abraham had not exactly put…
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A Planned Compromise – Genesis 20:13
Genesis 20:13And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother. This verse makes it even more sobering. Abraham was not…
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Too Late for the Mountain – Genesis 19:27-30
Genesis 19:27-30And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass,…
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How Low Mercy Will Go – Genesis 18:26-33
Genesis 18:26-33 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of…
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Nothing Too Hard – Genesis 18:13-14
Genesis 18:13-14 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? That question reaches far beyond Sarah. “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” The answer, of course, is no. But we do…
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Running to Meet Him – Genesis 18:2
Genesis 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him… and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, What a picture this is. Abraham is ninety nine years old, sitting in the tent door in the…
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Leave the Choice with Him – Genesis 17:18
Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! This is not just Abraham speaking as the head of a covenant line. This is a father talking about his son. Ishmael was not a theory to Abraham. He was flesh and blood. He was a boy Abraham loved. So when…
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When Men Become Their Own Judgment – Revelation 8:6-7
Revelation 8:6, 7 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. And the first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. There is…
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When Prayers Come Back – Revelation 8:5
Revelation 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. What a scene this is. In the verses just before this, the prayers of the saints rose before God. They went up…
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The Fragrance Before the Throne – Revelation 8:2-4
Revelation 8:2-4 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar…
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Heaven Hushed – Revelation 8:1
Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. This is one of the most arresting scenes in all of Revelation. Heaven, usually filled with worship and sound and activity, suddenly goes silent. The question is why. When we read on, we…
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The Music of Heaven and the Memory of Prayer – Revelation 5:8
Revelation 5:8“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” The moment Jesus takes the scroll, heaven responds. No debate. No delay. No hesitation. The living…
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Stay Under the Spout – Jude 21
Jude 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Here is the hinge of the whole letter. After all the warnings, all the examples, all the pictures of false teachers and drifting hearts, Jude brings us back to the simple call that holds…
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Built Up and Prayed Through – Jude 20
Jude 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, After all the warnings, Jude finally starts telling us what to do. That matters, because the Christian life is not just about spotting danger. It is about staying strong in the right places. Jude says if you…
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Mercy While There Is Still Breath – 1 John 5:16
1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. This is one of those verses that…
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He Hears What Is in His Heart – 1 John 5:13-15
1 John 5:13-15 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask…
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A Free Heart Before God – 1 John 3:21-22
1 John 3:21-22 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. John now shows what happens when the heart is at rest before God. When the heart is…
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Living Like It’s Near – 2 Peter 3:12
2 Peter 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Peter says something here that makes you stop and think. He does not talk about the coming of the Lord as though we…
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Keep Rolling It Back to Him – 1 Peter 5:7
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Peter says to cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you. That is one of the tenderest lines in the whole letter. After talking about suffering, humility, leadership, and pressure, he comes to this simple invitation: bring the…
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When Earth Stops Feeling Like Home – 1 Peter 4:7
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. Peter says the end of all things is at hand, and because of that, we are to be sober and watch unto prayer. In other words, think clearly. Stay awake spiritually. Do not drift through…
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Peace in the Middle of Gath – 1 Peter 3:11-12
1 Peter 3:11-12 …let him seek peace, and ensue it.For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. Peter keeps reaching back into Psalm 34, and that is a striking choice because David wrote…
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Knowing, Honoring, Listening – 1 Peter 3:7-10
1 Peter 3:7-10 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be…
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Go Get Him – James 5:19, 20
James 5:19, 20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. James ends his letter with a burden, not a benediction. If…
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More Than You Think – James 5:16–18
James 5:16–18 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth…
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Two Streams, One Healer – James 5:14
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him… anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James makes an important distinction here. In verse 13, the afflicted person is told to pray. But here in verse 14, the person…
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Pray or Sing – James 5:13
James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.Is any merry? let him sing psalms. James makes this beautifully simple. When life hurts, pray. When life is bright, sing. That sounds almost too plain, but that is exactly why it is so powerful. We complicate everything. When we are afflicted, we want to argue,…
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More Grace – James 4:6
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace.Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Those first four words are a pillow for the soul: But he giveth more grace. Not just grace once. Not just grace for the polished version of you. Not just grace for the days when you…
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The Mercy of God’s No – James 4:3
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James says something here that clears up a lot of confusion about prayer. Sometimes we ask and do not receive, not because God is distant, and not because He does not care, but because we are…
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What the Heart Is Really After – James 4:1–2
James 4:1, 2 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James has been stripping things…
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When You Do Not Know What to Do – James 1:5–8
You are in the middle of a trial, and the hardest part is not always the pain. Sometimes the hardest part is not knowing what to do next. Do I speak or stay quiet?Do I move or wait?Do I confront it or endure it?Do I hold on or let go?That is where James meets us.…
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Joy in the Shepherding – Hebrews 13:17–19
Hebrews 13:17–19 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things…
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The Prayer That Changed the Heart — Hebrews 5:5–8
Hebrews 5:5–8 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.Who in the days of his flesh, when he…
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A Dungeon Turned Into a Prayer Room — 2 Timothy 1:3
2 Timothy 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day. Paul is sitting in a Roman dungeon when he writes these words. The stone floor is cold. The air is damp. Sleep likely comes only in…
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A Life That Leans on God — 1 Timothy 5:5–6
1 Timothy 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. Paul describes what he calls a “widow indeed.” She is alone. She does not have family stepping in to carry the load. But instead of turning bitter or hopeless, she leans…
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Sanctified at the Table — 1 Timothy 4:4–5
1 Timothy 4:4–5 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. There is something beautifully ordinary about this. Paul is talking about food again. Not visions. Not mysteries. Not hidden codes. Food. The kind that…
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Lifted Hands — 1 Timothy 2:8
1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. Paul gives us a picture here. Not clenched fists. Not raised voices in argument. Lifted hands. Open hands do not fight. They do not grasp. They receive. They surrender. And Paul says this is to happen…
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What God Desires — 1 Timothy 2:3–4
1 Timothy 2:3–4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Paul has just urged the church to pray for everyone, even rulers. Now he tells us why. Because this is good in the…
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Who Is Really on the Throne — 1 Timothy 2:2
1 Timothy 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Paul tells Timothy to pray for kings and all who are in authority. That would have sounded strange in his day. The emperor was not sympathetic to Christians. Rome…
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First of All — Pray — 1 Timothy 2:1
1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. Paul shifts the focus from guarding doctrine to shaping atmosphere. “First of all…” Before strategy.Before structure.Before correcting the culture. Pray. That order matters. When a church begins to drift, our instinct is often…
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The Power Beneath the Pulpit — 2 Thessalonians 3:1
2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you. Paul is closing the letter, and he does not ask for comfort. He does not ask for protection. He asks for prayer — but not even primarily for…
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The Simple Will of God – 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 Rejoice evermore.Pray without ceasing.In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Three short commands. No commentary attached.No explanation.No footnotes. Just three steady beats. Rejoice.Pray.Give thanks. People spend years trying to decode the will of God. “Should I move?”“Should I change jobs?”“Should I marry…
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Sleepless for Their Sake – 1 Thessalonians 3:10
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face… Paul wasn’t casually praying for these people. He says “night and day.” That tells you something. There were probably nights when sleep wouldn’t come easy. Nights when the room was quiet but his mind wasn’t. Instead of staring at the ceiling or replaying the…
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Strength Where It Counts – Ephesians 3:14–16
Ephesians 3:14–16 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; Paul is chained, but he…
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Eyes That See What Cannot Be Seen – Ephesians 1:18
magine inheriting a field that looks like nothing but dirt. You consider selling it until a survey reveals oil beneath the surface. The land did not change. The knowledge did.
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Guard the Watchmen – Ephesians 1:15-16
Those who love the saints. Those who trust Christ deeply. Those who are steady and faithful. They are the ones holding the line. And they are the ones who need covering prayer.
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Praying Them Forward
Paul had every reason to be frustrated with the Corinthians. They questioned him. Criticized him. Undermined him. If anyone could have said, “Lord, deal with them,” it was Paul…. But he didn’t.
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Never Stop Praying for Your Children
There are some battles you cannot fight with words, lectures, or consequences. They are fought on your knees.
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My Dungeon, His Prayer
What do I do in my dungeon? Mine may not have iron bars. Mine might look like a season I did not plan. A door that never opened. A responsibility that feels smaller than the dreams I once carried. Maybe I thought the Lord would use me somewhere else, in some greater way. But instead,…