Come before his presence with singing. Psalm 100:2 There is a reason church services begin with singing. It is protocol: “Come before his presence with singing” (Ps. 100:2). The word “singing” conveys the idea of shouting for joy. It literally means to sound the glad voice of triumph. God says that men are to approach Him...
Thy will be done. Matthew 6:10 One of the basics of God-focused praying is found once again in the model prayer: surrendering our personal desires and agendas to the Lord in exchange for our Father’s plan and purpose (see Matt. 6:10). Jesus teaches us to pray that the Father’s will would be executed on Earth as...
Harden not your hearts. Hebrews 3:8 Heart disease has been called the silent killer. Each year more women die from heart disease than from all types of cancer combined. One quarter of heart attacks suffered by men is unsuspected before they hit. One third of women who suffer heart attacks have no pain or symptoms...
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker. Psalm 95:6 God is the humblest person in the universe. From His high and lofty position, He condescends to associate with fallen men. Jesus humbled Himself and died on the cross to pay our ransom (see Phil. 2:8). Majesty bore our misery that He might redeem us from...
The Son of God, the Spirit of God, and the Father are all vitally connected in prayer. Brief glimpses into this heavenly mystery are revealed in scripture. And as we peel back the veil, we learn something of Jesus and the Holy Spirit praying to the Father. The prayerful correspondence within the God-head powerfully affects...
Thy kingdom come. Matthew 6:10 The kingdom of God is referenced seventy times in the New Testament. It is a dominant theme of Scripture. Praying for God’s kingdom to come, as Jesus instructed in the model prayer (see Matt. 6:10), recognizes a past kingdom and anticipates a future kingdom—and it accentuates a present kingdom. In the...