Writing Prayers for Others

I recently turned 60. (I know, I don’t look a day over 65!) Trudi wanted to craft a special gift for my birthday. What a wonderful gift she designed! To celebrate my 60th birthday, she filled a decorative book with 60 handwritten Bible verses and 60 prayers for me based upon those verses. Now, whenever … Continue reading Writing Prayers for Others

Rekindling Passion for Prayer: Lessons from John Brainerd’s 1759 Journal

Sometime during my upper teen years, I read the journal of David Brainerd (1718-1747), and like so many people before me was deeply influenced by David Brainerd’s passion for God, commitment to prayer, and missionary zeal. What I didn’t know was that David Brainerd had a missionary-pastor brother, John Brainerd (1720-1781), who took over David’s … Continue reading Rekindling Passion for Prayer: Lessons from John Brainerd’s 1759 Journal

Prayer Postures in the Bible

When I first started to learn how to pray on my own, I thought that I had to kneel when I prayed. Most of the people I had read about who were pray-ers were also kneel-ers. For example, a second-century Christian named Hegesippus records that James, the half-brother of Jesus, “was frequently found situated upon … Continue reading Prayer Postures in the Bible

Three Paragraphs I Wrote that Seemed to Offend a Lot of People

Of all the things I have ever written, there are three consecutive paragraphs I once wrote that seem to have offended more people than anything else I’ve ever written. Please understand, I really don’t like to offend people. I am committed to—even passionate about—speaking (and writing) truth with grace. My problem in the case of … Continue reading Three Paragraphs I Wrote that Seemed to Offend a Lot of People

Extended Fasting: An Interview with Bill MacLeod

Have you ever wondered about fasting for an extended period of time? Jesus, after all, fasted for 40 days in the Judean wilderness. I wrote a short introduction to what the Bible teaches about fasting a few years ago for those new to fasting, since I have found fasting to be a helpful discipline at … Continue reading Extended Fasting: An Interview with Bill MacLeod

Teenagers and Parental Hypocrisy: Seven Suggestions

I raised four daughters. That is to say, together with my highly-committed and sensible wife, Trudi, I raised four daughters. I must admit, though, that sometimes it feels like they raised me. Nothing highlights one’s sinful tendencies more effectively than raising children. Every parent reading right now knows what I mean. The relationship between teenagers … Continue reading Teenagers and Parental Hypocrisy: Seven Suggestions

Living a D’Vine Life in Christ (John 15:1-5)

Yes, my title has a double meaning: The vine in John 15 is Christ, who is Divine, and we live life connection to the Vine. So one way to refer to the Christian life is: living a D’Vine Life. A couple years ago I wrote a devotional book about inChristness in the letters of Paul—100 … Continue reading Living a D’Vine Life in Christ (John 15:1-5)

Is New Testament Prophecy the Same as Preaching and Teaching?

No. In the New Testament, prophecy is described as a revelation for a particular moment (1 Cor 14:30). Preaching and teaching[1] is an exposition of what God has already revealed in his written Word, the Bible. I grew up in a church setting in which people often claimed that what is described in the New … Continue reading Is New Testament Prophecy the Same as Preaching and Teaching?

Exponential Discipleship

In an ideal world, all Christians would maintain three types of spiritual relationships as they walked through life. (Disclaimer: There have only been a couple times in my own life when I have had all three going at once, but this is still an ideal worth aiming for.) A spiritual mentor: It is wonderful to … Continue reading Exponential Discipleship

Answers to Prayer: Small Prayers

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past 24 hours about prayer (again!). I’ve been wondering whether one of the primary reasons we get discouraged in prayer relates to what we pray about—and what we remember praying about. Because we typically pray a few ongoing prayers that feel super important, but that haven’t yet been … Continue reading Answers to Prayer: Small Prayers