Forgiveness is not optional. It is a command. Jesus taught his followers (and us) how to pray. Part of the prayer is: “forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.” And just in case the disciples didn’t catch the forgiveness part, he reiterated and explained in more fully. “For if you forgive men… Read More
Old and New Testament Thinking
Remember the Sunday School song: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…” What’s the significance of the sycamore tree? A sycamore tree produces figs, but they are such poor quality that they aren’t eaten by people… Read More
When you pray, say … (2)
This part is all about trusting God. Do I really believe that He cares for me–in good times and bad. Or do I step in with my plans, my agenda, my wants. God has given me a promise. And He has a plan and a purpose for me. How does this play out in my… Read More
When you pray, say …
I pray (quietly in my head, out loud, singing, whispering, drawing …) the Lord’s prayer daily. It helps me to focus on putting God in the center of my life. It also reminds me of what prayer is–not just a list of my wants, but that it includes thanks, praise, and worship. The… Read More
No excuses
Read the story of the Lord’s rejection of Saul as king of Israel in 1 Samuel 15. God gave a very specific set of instructions, which Saul listened to, then went ahead and did his own thing. (Sound familiar?) The prophet Samuel was sent by God to confront Saul. Saul told Samuel, “I obeyed the… Read More
Prayer and work go hand-in-hand
Pray about everything. Then pray some more. But at some point, we have to quit praying and start acting. ~Mark Batterson in Draw the Circle: The 40 day prayer challenge Mark Batterson makes the point in Draw the Circle: The 40 day prayer challenge that we get spiritually stuck when we misunderstand our role as followers of Jesus… Read More
Procrastination prayers
There comes a moment when praying becomes a form of spiritual procrastination. It’s time to stop praying and start acting. ~Mark Batterson, in A Circle of Prayer I write this in the middle of two posts about making prayer a way of life, praying without ceasing, about God’s response to our prayers–all taken from Colossians 4:2-4. At… Read More
Kathleen S Evenhouse 