As we look to Scripture to teach us how to respond and how to pray in crisis, we must be aware of two common pitfalls. The first of these is taking Scripture out of context – whether out of its immediate context or out of the context of the Bible as a whole. A common […]
Why doesn’t God answer prayer immediately? Why does he seem at times to hold back, to keep us in difficult circumstances when he could bring healing, relief, finances, reconciliation, and more – all with just a word? There is no “one-size-fits-all” answer to this question. First and foremost, we must acknowledge and agree with God […]
Crisis situations often make us wonder if God sees our suffering or hears our cries. God can seem distant and unconcerned with our troubles. But Scripture shows us over and over that nothing could be further from the truth. Joseph must have wondered if God cared about his ordeals as he was carried off into […]
Perhaps the most famous cry of “Why” in the Bible came from the mouth of our Savior as he was dying on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Jesus was quoting the beginning to Psalm 22, which we looked at previously. In Jesus’ case, of course, he had […]
The Presidential Prayer Team daily prayer page today mentions that it’s 100 days to the mid-term elections. With division in our country running so high and questions still surrounding alleged attempts to interfere with the 2016 elections, we need God’s intervention both to protect our election process and to put in place leaders who will […]
David suffered much in his life – some of it the result of the sinfulness of others (as in King Saul’s pursuit of him) and some of it the result of his own sin (for example, in the episode with Bathsheba or the counting of the army). Sometimes David understood why he suffered; at other […]
When faced with a crisis situation – whether sudden or developing over time – one of our first inclinations is to ask God why. Why are we suffering so? What did we do to deserve this? Why has our God, who is both sovereign and good, allowed this suffering to occur? This is where Job […]
The wind and the waves threatened to capsize the fishing boat. Though seasoned on the water, the men aboard began to fear for their lives. Straining at the sails and the oars, bailing water and trying to control the boat, they suddenly noticed that one of them was fast asleep. Astonished, they rushed to wake […]
Father, please forgive us your church for the ways in which we have failed to honor you in our country. We pay so little attention to you in our lives and then we decry when our country wanders far from you. We allow our teaching to be more influenced by the culture around us than […]
Vertical prayer is prayer that is focused on God, on his glory, and on his kingdom. Vertical prayer aligns with Paul’s instructions in Colossians 3:1-2: Vertical prayer recognizes God’s sovereignty and at the same time bows to his will. It’s based on faith, hope, and a deep reliance on God’s love. Vertical prayer pleads for […]