Prayer

I Don’t Pray for Politicians and Persecutors (And I Need to Change That)

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The more you pray for different types of people, the more prayer becomes a habit in your life. While we all have prayed for family, friends, co-workers, and gospel workers, did you realize that we aren’t actually commanded to pray for those people?  Obviously, we should pray for anyone and everyone, but these groups are never singled out for our …

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Hallowed Be Thy Name

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  You never know what is going to happen when you work with kids in the church.  Years ago, I was teaching a group of children and heard one of the most bizarre statements. I asked if any of the children wanted to pray and one boy raised his hand.  I didn’t hear anything he said after the second word: “Dear …

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Pray for Gospel Workers

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Pastors and ministry leaders pray for many people, but how many people actually pray for them?  We should be thankful for these effective prayers that are prayed by these righteous gospel workers on our behalf (James 5:16), but we must also not neglect to pray for them. The enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour …

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Praying God’s Word

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One of the best ways to pray is to pray using God’s Word. Follow me on this journey through Scripture for a moment. When Moses encountered the burning bush in the wilderness, he turned aside to behold this spectacle.  When the bush called his name and began talking to him is when things really got interesting (Ex. 3:4).  As God …

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The Battle Plan for Prayer Bible Study

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Develop a deeper walk with God as you seek the Lord for your battles first. The Battle Plan for Prayer Bible Study equips believers to create their own prayer strategy and be specific and strategic in prayer. This study features teaching by Alex and Stephen Kendrick on the topics of: what prayer is and is not, why God wants us to pray, …

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God Doesn’t Respect the Prayers of a Bully

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God takes seriously how we interact with those in our family. Children are called to honor parents (Ex. 20:12; Eph. 6:1-2; Col. 3:20). Fathers are instructed not to provoke their children (Col. 3:21) but to bring up their children in the instruction of the Lord in a gentle way (Eph. 6:4). Husbands are called to love their wives and wives …

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Prayers for the First Day of School

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In our community, many families are starting the school year today.  It is an exciting and yet anxious time for many. If your heart is concerned with anxiety or worry today for your family, I want to help give you some focus for your prayers. King Solomon was described as being wiser than any other man (1 Kings. 4:31).  He …

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War Room: A Movie Practiced Before It Was Produced

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On August 28, War Room hits theaters.  It’s a powerful movie about prayer that has the potential to change your life for the better. Since I got the privilege to help develop curriculum with the Kendrick Brothers, I got to watch different edits of the movie months ago.  Watching the film and working on The Battle Plan for Prayer was pivotal in my …

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Lead Us Not Into Temptation

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Yesterday’s sermon on sexual immorality was so helpful.  1 Thess. 4:1-8 is crystal clear concerning God’s expectation of us. What do you do when you are tempted?  Pray!  Jesus taught how. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  -Matt. 6:13 These final two petitions of the Lord’s Prayer ask for protection from temptation and …

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Prayer for the President

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I saw this church sign awhile back.  It made me chuckle but also cringe at the same time. I do not agree with everything that President Barack Obama does.  I am brokenhearted over some of his stances.  But he is my president. And of all the things that people will say about him or say we should do, I know …

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Paul’s Prayer Request

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We studied Ephesians 6 this week at Summer Roundtable.  The discussion was a rich time in the Word. This passage reminds us that the armor of God is essential to spiritual victory.  Studying Ephesians 6, we see what Paul instructs that is essential after one has put on the armor of God. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword …

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A Pastor’s Prayer

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Today was a day we had been working towards and praying about for months!  So glad to finally gather and share it with our church. Here’s how it all came together: All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name Family Ministry Presentation Offering Oh, the Deep Deep Love What a Savior Sermon Have Thine Own Way The worship team led so …

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Scheduled Prayer

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I got to teach on prayer last night at our Summer Roundtable (and again this Wednesday).  Loved our time in Luke 11:5-13 as we discussed prayer. I had so many great conversations with our folks about how they are progressing in their prayer lives.  It made me so excited about the upcoming study, “The Battle Plan for Prayer.” With all …

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You Learn to Pray by Praying

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Psalm 15 describes characteristics of a godly person.  It contains qualities to which we should aspire and other qualities to which we should avoid.  In the passage below, reflect on the qualities that grab your attention. Psalm 15:1 Lord, who can dwell in Your tent? Who can live on Your holy mountain? 2 The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and …

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Forgive Us Our Debts

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In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus offered a challenging prayer point: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  -Matt. 6:12 This petition is very unique compared to the others.  This request for pardon comes with a distinct stipulation: forgive us as we have forgiven others. We understand that we need forgiveness.  None of us are righteous …

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Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

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Give us today our daily bread.  -Matt. 6:11 This petition in the Lord’s Prayer is asking God to provide for our needs.  After the Exodus, the nation of Israel wandered through the wilderness.  God promised to “rain bread from heaven” (Ex. 16:4) for the people.  One interesting fact about this provision was its unique nature of being a daily provision. …

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The Prayers of Mrs. Judy

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Yesterday, marked 1-year after the passing of Mrs. Judy.  It is hard for me to believe.  As I talked with Scott yesterday, we reminisced about his precious wife, the ebb and flow of the last year, and God’s faithfulness throughout this entire time. One of Scott’s greatest desires is that Judy’s legacy will continue to impact lives as she did …

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Teach Us to Pray

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What would our lives be like if we truly believed in the power of prayer?  Think about Jesus’s example for a moment. Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.  -Luke 5:16 The gospels are full of evidences of Jesus praying. Jesus prayed alone (Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 9:18; 22:39-41) Jesus prayed in public (John 11:41-42, 12:27-30) Jesus prayed …

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You Pray Too Long

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  So thankful for the time our church focused on prayer in yesterday’s services.  I was thinking this morning of why people are often fearful to pray. One of the main reasons people are intimidated to pray in public is due to a misunderstanding of prayer rhetoric.  While we claim to believe that all prayers are equal, we tend to …

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The Power of Prayer

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Week after week, our church is becoming more of a family. Today, the focus upon James 5:13-17 helped even more so. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the …

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How to Pray for Your Church and Your Pastor

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I was running around Sunday morning between services talking with people and putting out fires when a staff member handed me an envelope and said, “Someone left this for you.” I have done this long enough to know that if someone drops off a letter to you before a service, it could be an encouraging note or it could be …

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A Prayer for America

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The National Day of Prayer was on May 7th.  Among other leaders of the event, Alex Kendrick was asked to pray.  I had respected Alex from afar, but getting the opportunity to get to know him over the last few years has taught me a few things about him: He is passionate about Jesus He is a very-talented and dedicated …

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On Earth As It Is in Heaven

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In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus makes many petitions to his father.  Two of the petitions focus upon God’s kingdom and the desire to see his kingdom advance throughout the earth. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  -Matt. 6:10 Always remember that prayer is not about my name but about God’s name. Prayer is not …

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When to Pray

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In order to be committed to prayer, we must have scheduled times and spontaneous times. Throughout Scripture, we see men and women calling upon God throughout all watches of the day and night.  Prayer should be something that carries us throughout the entire day.   O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. –Psalm …

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How Should I Pray for My Family?

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Oftentimes, we pray that all the family is safe, that God bless all the missionaries, and that there be peace on earth.  Those are wonderful prayers, but we need to get more specific. Regardless of your current family situation, each of us have people we consider family.  It is easy to resort to worrying for our family or attempting to …

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Faithless Requests

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One reason God does not answer our prayers is because we offer faithless requests.  Sure we might pray to him but our faith in his ability to answer those prayers is tragically minimal.

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If Jesus Thought It Was Important to Pray This Much…

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I prayed that God would grow me in my prayer life this year.  I had no clue how he was going to answer it, but I have sat in amazement at what he has done.  Through emphases at the church, the opportunity to help develop a Bible study curriculum on prayer, and my time in Scripture, Jesus has been teaching me …

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The Battle Plan for Prayer

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Yesterday, I was able to submit a 124-page document to LifeWay for the upcoming curriculum entitled, “The Battle Plan for Prayer.”  Working alongside the Kendrick Brothers, we have developed a Bible study on prayer that has changed my life for the better!  If it impacts people a fraction of how the Word has impacted me during this process, lives will …

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Why Your Prayers Hit the Ceiling

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We can study the pages of Scripture and believe that prayer works.  Many of us can look back over our lives and testify to the power of prayer.  But have you ever wondered what causes prayer not to work?  What is so powerful to render our prayers ineffective? Our prayers cannot be thwarted due to the degree of difficulty concerning …

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Heavenly Daddy

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Out of all the things the disciples saw Jesus do, they asked him to instruct them concerning how to do one thing: “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1). The next words he spoke were recorded and are often recited as the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).  Out of all the language Jesus could have used and all the …

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The Greatest Prayer Partner You Could Ever Have

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I am excited to report that I have already made some great progress in the writing of the prayer Bible study curriculum with the Kendrick Brothers.  After a few weeks of study, writing, and working with some test groups, I have been amazed at what God is already doing through his Word to increase people’s prayer lives. I spent Monday and Tuesday in Albany working …

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Touch the World Through Prayer

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I first read Touch the World Through Prayer the summer I served with Kingdom Building Ministries in Colorado.  I pulled it out last week to be reminded of this jewel on prayer written by a missionary to India. The author opened my eyes up to the power of prayer at first read and reinvigorated it again.  He allowed me to …

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Prayerlessness = Sin

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Samuel the priest played a pivotal role in the nation of Israel.  He had a miraculous birth (1 Sam. 1:20), a praying mother who dedicated him to priestly service (1 Sam. 1:27-28), a divine calling into ministry (1 Sam. 3:10), and a special role in the history of the nation to guide the people’s hearts back to the LORD (1 …

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Pivotal Praying: Connecting with God in Times of Great Need

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John Hull and Tim Elmore’s book entitled Pivotal Praying is full of illustrations about the power of prayer.  It also tries to direct prayers in specific situations. Here’s a few of my favorite takeaways: “Pivotal praying means we learn to pray at higher levels…Our prayer becomes mission driven not maintenance driven” (9). “I despaired at the thought that my life …

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Kendrick Brothers Movie #5 (And Some New Curriculum)

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After preaching Sunday morning, teaching on cults Sunday evening, I went home to get a few hours of sleep.  My alarm woke me up at 3:45 AM Monday morning so I could get to the airport to make it to an early meeting in Nashville.  While the conditions were tiresome, I was eager and humbled at the opportunity. I am …

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Christ Be All Around Me

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I am so excited that we will be singing a new song at North Side this Sunday called “Christ Be All Around Me.”  The song was written by Leeland and All Sons and Daughters.  In addition to their recordings, Michael W. Smith also recorded the song.  The video below shows him and Leeland Morring leading this song. When I first …

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Stand Fast FAQs

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It was a great Sunday as we completed our “Stand Fast” series from 2 Peter! As we completed our DNOW weekend, the Peak band led us in worship this morning.  I love this solid, dedicated group of teenage worship leaders.  They always do a great job and today was no exception.  They began by leading us with “You Are My …

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A Gentle Reminder

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Over lunch today, I told Amanda: “I have never seen such a hunger for God in our congregation than what I am seeing right now.” It’s true.  The people are rising up to be all that God has called them to be.  Their worship is more sincere.  Their intentionality is through the roof.  The expectations are rising.  It’s incredible to …

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