Jesus was drawn to suffering people. His was a mercy of ministry, and he focused his attention more on people in pain than people in who found themselves in the “sweet spot” of life. Jesus healed the sick, comforted the grieving, and raised the dead to life. He was deeply compassionate. But he was not [ Read More ]
During the course of our lives, many of us undergo suffering at a level we thought we would never experience. The pain is excruciatingly protracted and seemingly endless. It seems the darkness will never lift. It is during times such as these that the ancient story of Job provides light for the dark path ahead. [ Read More ]
During my adult life, there have been two long seasons when God seemed absent or, at least, silent. He was “nowhere to be found.” The more I prayed, the worse my circumstances became. The more I sought comfort in the Scriptures, the less of a connection I felt with him. Both time periods were seasons [ Read More ]
A year ago, I got my hands on a manuscript that sizzled with energy and punched like a pro—Mike Bird’s Religious Freedom in a Secular Age. In it, he guides readers through the dark and twisted maze of secularism’s rise and religious liberty’s decline. Along the way, he rejects two flawed agendas—civic totalism and white [ Read More ]
For me, the daily recitation of the Lord’s model prayer has been quite helpful. While the Lord’s prayer is a “model” prayer in the sense that it a prototype upon which we can base spontaneous prayers, it is also a “model” in the sense of being a “master prayer” to which we would be wise [ Read More ]
The sixth line of the Lord’s prayer is, “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.” It is a fitting summary because the entire prayer is about God’s kingdom, God’s power, and God’s glory. God is unspeakably majestic and powerful, and the kingdom he promises to consummate will radiate his majesty and power. [ Read More ]
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and physical health disorder caused by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. Persons who experience PTSD often turn to alcohol or drugs to alleviate physical or mental symptoms. Physical symptoms include surges in levels of adrenaline or cortisol which cause a person’s body to be on perpetual “high [ Read More ]
The fifth line of the Lord’s Prayer is “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Now that we have hallowed God’s name and his intentions, relied on him for provision, and practiced gospel-centered forgiveness, we have begun “playing offense” in the world of spiritual warfare. However, we need also to “play defense.” [ Read More ]
The fourth line of the Lord’s prayer is, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” After having honored his name and his intentions and having asked for him to provide our daily needs, we inquire about one specific need: we pray for him to forgive our sin and to empower [ Read More ]
After having opened our prayer by expressing our longing for God’s kingdom and honoring his promise to restore the world, we are now ready to ask him to provide for our needs This is the third line of the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” In this time between Christ’s first and [ Read More ]