With Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving

Prayer Point 42 - November 15, 2021

One of my favorite Scriptures on prayer is Philippians 4:6-7, which reads: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Knowing we would all want more peace, Paul gives us great insight into how to go about getting just that. We are encouraged to remain prayerful, and do so with a spirit of gratitude, as those are the means of a peaceful heart and mind. Remember, there is nothing too small to pray about. So, let God know all of your requests—while adding thankfulness into the mix—and the God of peace is sure to be near. Now that’s something to pray about!

Gratitude

Gratitude

Prayer Point 41 - November 8, 2021

As we continue from last week with Scriptural prayers focused on the theme of gratitude, we look to the second of two prayers in which Jesus gave thanks. In Luke 10:21, we see Jesus rejoicing in prayer saying, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.” Here, Jesus is thanking His Father for His ways—that He reveals Himself to the humble and childlike instead of those who are wise in their own eyes. Friend, have you, like Jesus, thanked God lately simply for who He is and for His good ways? As we approach Thanksgiving, let’s be sure to do just that. Truly, nobody is more deserving of our thanks than Him. Now that’s something to pray about!

Thank You

Thank You

Prayer Point 40 - November 1, 2021

As we look toward Thanksgiving, I wanted to direct our attention to Scriptural prayers focused on gratitude. In fact, two of Jesus’ recorded prayers touch on this very theme. This week we look at His prayer from John 11 in which He paused to pray before raising Lazarus saying, “I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me…” (John 11:41-42). Did you catch that? Jesus thanked His heavenly Father for always hearing His prayers. The wonderful news is that—for those of us who are in Christ—He always hears our prayers too. This doesn’t mean every answer is yes, but He most certainly always hears. Rejoice with gratefulness today knowing your every prayer is heard on high by your loving Father. Now that’s something to pray about!

Sons, Fathers And Prayers

Sons, Fathers And Prayers

Prayer Point 39 - October 25, 2021

While teaching on prayer, Jesus used an illustration of a boy asking his dad for food. He talked about how a father would never give a son asking for bread, fish and egg a stone, serpent or scorpion instead (Luke 11:11-13). You know, prayer is a vast subject that can leave us feeling mystified. The mystery of it all causes some to wonder if God sometimes answers prayer maliciously. The truth, however, is that we can be confident in the goodness of God. He is pure and perfect and will never answer our prayers with something evil, sinful or harmful to us. Just like a great earthly father only wants to give what’s best to his children, so too our heavenly Father gives us generously of His Holy Spirit when we ask. Now that’s something to pray about!

Promptings

Promptings

Prayer Point 38 - October 18, 2021

Have you ever passed by someone while running errands or grocery shopping that reminded you of an old friend? Or perhaps you were driving and caught a glimpse of a license plate that made you think of a loved one? I like to think of seemingly random occurrences like these as divine promptings and invitations to pray. When a name or face suddenly pops into your mind, whisper a quick prayer like, “Lord, how can I be lifting up this particular person or situation?” God not only begins to work in answer to our requests, but also gives us wisdom for further action we may need to take. So, pay attention to those promptings. When God wants to move in a big way, He often starts with a little nudge. Now that’s something to pray about!