Prayer And The Fullness Of Joy

In John 16:24, Jesus spoke this powerful truth to His disciples: “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” What fascinates me about this statement is how answers to prayer and joy are interwoven. Furthermore, if God offers us the means not only to joy—but its full measure—then we should certainly take Him up on it. That fact is that when we pray, possibilities far beyond our theological comprehension begin to open. Dear friend, if you find yourself lacking peace, or experiencing anxiety about life circumstances, turn to the Lord in prayer today. Who knows? He may answer today, and with it give us the much needed joy of the Lord. Now that’s something to pray about!

Praying In Tongues

Paul the apostle made a rather bold statement to the Corinthian church. In 1 Corinthians 14 verse 18, he writes, “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.” The apostle seems to place a premium on this particular spiritual gift, and implied it’s something he spent a significant amount of time doing. Although this can be a bit of a sensitive topic in some church communities, I want to encourage you to seek out biblical understanding of speaking, praying and singing in tongues. It’s a gift of grace that the most eminent author of the New Testament spoke of very highly and without reservation. Perhaps it’s something that God is prompting you to study further so that your prayer life and Christian witness goes to new heights. Now that’s something to pray about!

Moving Past Disappointment

Helping people continue to pray after God seems not to answer is something I find myself doing often. It’s hard when it seems like God isn’t listening or caring about something so important to us. In fact, Jesus addresses this in the first verse of Luke chapter 18 in which He taught a parable that we should always pray and not give up. You see, God’s timing is not our timing, and His ways are not like our ways. So often, what we want changed now, He’s thinking in years. What we want done, He wants done differently—so even more people are impacted and He gets even more glory. Be encouraged that your prayers are being heard and will be answered in a special way as you persevere in faith. Now that’s something to pray about!

Prayer For Athletes

A neat thing happened at a professional baseball game in Nashville, Tennessee recently. After winning a game against the Memphis Redbirds, Nashville Sounds player Brewer Hicklen baptized his teammate and friend Wes Clarke on the field with fans still in attendance. Many heard the gospel proclaimed and saw men of God following Jesus outside the church walls. Let’s remember to pray for athletes at every level. Many are being used by God to reach their teams for Christ. Just as we saw at the Olympics recently, many Christian athletes have unique opportunities to talk about Jesus on the world stage. May we remember to lift up these brothers and sisters in the faith as they follow Jesus in athletics. Now that’s something to pray about!

Prayer For Students

School is back in full swing for many families, teachers, administrators and of course students. This week, let’s pray for all those working in education, and especially for the children who will be learning. God has laid on my heart for many years for a great revival to come to schools throughout central Illinois. What would it look like if hundreds or thousands of students in our area met Jesus in a real and life-changing way while in grade school, high school or college? Sometimes we forget these are the leaders, doctors, engineers, firefighters, politicians and educators of tomorrow. Let’s pray the Holy Spirit of God moves in a powerful way this year so that many grow as followers of Christ with God as number one in their life. Now that’s something to pray about!