Anything We Ask “According to His Will” (1 John 5:14-15) Will Happen, but What is “His Will”?

A spiritually-minded friend of my wife and me recently made this comment: “I struggle with the idea of praying according to the will of God. Since I know that some things are clearly according to God’s will, why can’t I just pray directly about those things and know for certain that they’re going to happen? … Continue reading Anything We Ask “According to His Will” (1 John 5:14-15) Will Happen, but What is “His Will”?

What are the Four Most Important Spiritual Disciplines?

The four most important spiritual disciplines are: 1) scripture, 2) prayer, 3) church, and 4) mission. No other spiritual disciplines rise to the level of importance of these four. Two questions clarify why these are the most important spiritual disciplines. Which spiritual disciplines are most emphasized in the Bible? Which spiritual disciplines will most effectively … Continue reading What are the Four Most Important Spiritual Disciplines?

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

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

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

What Does it Mean to Do Things “in the Spirit”?

Frequently in the Bible, and especially in the letters of the Apostle Paul, we come across the expression “in the Spirit”—or similar such expressions. This kind of expression is used in various ways in the Bible, but the one I’m drawn to today is when people do things “in the Spirit.” What kinds of activities … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Do Things “in the Spirit”?

Eight Things I Learned from David Needham

Earlier this week, David Needham, my former teacher at Multnomah Bible College, passed into the presence of the Lord at the age of 94. During the past few days, I have been reflecting upon his profound influence on me. Here are eight things I learned from my beloved teacher. 1. Awe in the Presence of … Continue reading Eight Things I Learned from David Needham

70 Great Bible Passages for Group Prayer

For the past five years, I have been leading twice-a-week prayer times at The Berdhouse, a residential Christian discipleship community that Trudi and I lead for college students. We normally spend the first 15 minutes of each prayer time reading through a passage from the Bible and responding to that passage with dozens of short … Continue reading 70 Great Bible Passages for Group Prayer