Prayer isn’t boring—we just often carelessly approach it without a realistic and heartfelt plan. Learn how to build a game changing, personal prayer strategy that helps you stay focused, grow deeper, and actually enjoy talking with God.
Your hopeful plans for your life, job, or ministry may be immense, but they honestly may not be sized correctly. When we attempt something that God desires to be done, our grandest plans might potentially be undersized.
Prayer is not an emergency hotline only to dial when we get in trouble; it is an ongoing connection with our Father so we can stay in step with His Son. If we want to learn how to pray well, we best go learn from Jesus.
Our phones give us constant access to anyone or anything at any time, and they often distract us from the people around us. We are so prone to checking our phones throughout the day, but what if we treated the opportunity of prayer like that?
Even though prayer can be very challenging to stay consistent with focus and direction, we all know of its important for our lives. With some simple adjustments, you can create more effective times of prayer that will cause you to desire it more. It’s time to go the second mile in making better prayer times.
If most of our prayer requests could be addressed by a second opinion or an alleviated circumstance, we might not be praying about all we should. Make your personal discipleship a matter of consistent prayer.
Prayer ought to be a vital component to anyone’s evangelism efforts. We don’t desire to trust in our abilities but seek to align, through prayer, with the One who cares for others more than we do.
Life is challenging enough even with God in one’s life; it is hard to imagine navigating this world without Him. To endure the suffering of this life, we must pray for God to give us the strength required to persevere.
Exodus 17:8-16 – The Israelites fought against the Amalekites and prevailed under unique circumstances during the conflict. As our banner, the LORD unites and mobilizes the people of God to victory.
While I have many prayer requests to share, the consistent prayer need is my own spiritual growth. Instead of trying to work in my own strength, I would be wise to admit to God, through prayer, how much I need His help.
Many Christians feel great discouragement by the lack of spiritual progress in their lives. While we can gripe about the pace, regret the past, and disagree about the process, are we praying about our growth?
We often wonder how much we should pray to be considered a serious Christian. It’s not about reaching some type of goal. It’s about forming a type of relationship. We don’t want the bare minimum in the way that we prioritize talking with God.
Realize that you haven’t sinned when anxiety hits, but you could sin by how you address it. Jesus provides helpful clarity in how He took His anxieties to God in prayer. It’s time to go the second mile in praying through your anxiety.
If you pray about the same things in the same ways, day after day, you shouldn’t be surprised that your prayers are boring. To get out of a prayer rut, you have to change your strategy. What if one simple change could enliven your prayer life?
If your prayer life consistency is based on how you feel, you will only connect with God when you are desperate. But that’s not healthy. We need something more. We need to have an established connection with God that endures through all times.
If you’ve ever tried to pray but gotten distracted during it, you are not alone. While we may have different reasons that we get sidetracked, there are some simple changes you can make to your rhythms to help you stay focused during prayer.
Most people claim that prayer is helpful, but our commitment to it says something different. Everyone is busy, but we always find time for what is most important. If you value prayer enough, you will prioritize time to talk with God regularly.
Nehemiah 1:1-11 – Once Nehemiah heard the condition of God’s people, his brokenness led him to prayer. When our circumstances are not what they are supposed to be, do we approach God for His help?
Many of us are lacking certain things because we have simply refused to ask God for them. As our Father, he knows what we need and takes pleasure in giving us good gifts.
You will never intensify your prayer life on accident. In order to pray continually, you must first pray intentionally.
Jesus taught us how to pray but not what to pray. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gave a template by which we can learn how to talk with God.
Over a week after the election for President of the United States, much of the country still feels in limbo. With one side claiming victory and the other side refusing to concede, this process may continue for quite some time. Don’t feel helpless or hopeless. It’s time to go the second mile in praying for national leaders.
Something that makes our prayers ineffective is praying repetitive, empty words. Jesus shows us another way.
James warns believers that certain prayers will not be answered by God. Regardless of how eloquent the words that are used or how passionate the pleas may be, God has promised not to give what has been requested from Him. Those prayers that are spoken out of wrong motives will not be granted.
We often need God’s protection from wicked people, but do we ever consider the protection we need from our own sinful habits? Just because we experience struggles does not mean that we can justify sin.
Making a stance for joy is waging a war against worry. Scripture clearly teaches what a disciple should do when anxiety attacks.
Matthew 26:30; 27:45-46 Psalm 24 Preached at Berea First Baptist Prayer Conference At pivotal times, Jesus utilized Scripture that He had previously memorized. At the time of His crucifixion, He specifically employed the Psalms. Matthew 26:30; 27:45-46 All Scripture is inspired by God, but the Psalms are inspired for God. The Psalms train us how to speak to one so …
Mark 9:14-29 Preached at Berea First Baptist Prayer Conference Lacking Power (9:14-18) Mere association with Jesus doesn’t guarantee access to His power. Our failures not only damage our reputations but they can also tarnish others’ perception of Christ. Struggling Faith (9:19-27) Three horrible words that you should never say to Jesus: if you can. Even when your faith is underdeveloped, …
John 15:1-7 Preached at Berea First Baptist Prayer Conference Prayer Conference 2020 – Morning Service – Dr Travis Agnew from Sermons & Videos on Vimeo. You need a relational connection more than a religious commitment. Abiding in Christ is the believer’s commitment to utter dependence upon Jesus. I am incapable of doing anything spiritually worthwhile in my own strength. The …
Luke 11:1; Matthew 6:9-13 Preached at Berea First Baptist Prayer Conference Out of all that the disciples saw Jesus do, the one thing they asked Him to teach was how to pray. Praying wasn’t necessary for God in the flesh, but His example was essential for us. The Lord’s Prayer was meant to serve more as a template than a …
If you grew up in church, you probably memorized the Lord’s prayer from Matthew 6. In many services, the entire congregation recites it out loud as a part of the worship. While this is a great implementation, did Jesus mean for us simply to quote it? It’s time to go the 2nd mile with the Lord’s prayer. Listen to the …
While we honestly hope that others receive what they deserve, do we really want that for ourselves? David cried out to God because he was fully aware of his own need for mercy. Psalm 28 28 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me,lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.2 Hear the …
My daughter Gloria has two types of voices. She uses a soft voice for the public. She employs a loud voice for the home. You know how comfortable she is around you based on how loud she gets. We were reminded of this dynamic on a recent trip to the beach. Before a meal, I asked who wanted to pray. …
Psalm 39:1-13 – When David was overwhelmed with God’s discipline in his life, he maintained a proper perspective and took it to God through prayer. Don’t talk to everyone else about your troubles while neglecting the one who can fix them.
Is prayer your first attempt or your last-ditched effort? Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who not only survived the Holocaust but also rescued many Jews during this horrific time in history. Her famous quote is a wonderful question to ask today: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” This question seeks to understand if is prayer …
Many disciples of Jesus struggle with distracted, neglected, and boring prayer lives. The problem of prayer is not the content or the recipient – it’s the method. In this episode, discover some tips to stop boring prayer times. Prayer Distractions Lack of Faith – Relying on a God we cannot see with requests we cannot handle requires faith. …
As soon as Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He intentionally targeted the religious community. Followers of Jesus must continually evaluate if we are fulfilling the call He has placed upon us. Mark 11:1-25 11 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to …
When a man brought his son to Jesus for deliverance, he uttered three words that should never be used to address the Christ. When we approach Jesus in our need, He deserves complete faith in His ability. Mark 9:14-29 14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately …
Jesus taught us to pray in what we call the Lord’s Prayer. Have you ever thought about how you can use this prayer as a template to teach your church how to pray? Here’s how Jesus taught His disciples to pray: 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come,your will be done, on earth as it …
When Jesus spoke of His Church, He spoke of a people and not a building (Matt. 16:18). We are not called to come to church but to be the Church. In John 17, we get insight into how Jesus prayed for the universal Church and how that applies to each expression of a local church. Our hearts should be comforted …
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