“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” (Luke 11:4). Scripture is very clear that sin is a hindrance to answered prayer. Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” In Psalm 66:18 we read, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” One of the most pervasive, tenacious sins in the Christian culture today is unforgiveness

Sometimes, in the rush of the Christmas season, we do not always focus our thoughts, our hearts and our minds on Christ, the very reason we celebrate. As you, your family and your church look toward the celebration of the birth of Christ (the first advent–His first coming), take time each day to focus on the One we long to see face to face. Set apart a time of devotion alone or together in community, to anticipate and await with delight the coming of the Christ Child–God’s ow

It is no surprise that Israel is a source of division and contention, both in the world and in the Church. It has always been so. For reasons, one could look to the unique geographic place of the nation, a bridge of land between warring empires for millennia. Or one could look to the exclusivist monotheism of the Jewish faith that set it apart through the ages. Modern analysts can perhaps look to the deep-seated antagonism between Jew and Arab as an outgrowth of tribal hatred

All too often we look at prayer as a “quick fix” to a difficult situation. Have you ever said, “I’ve tried everything else–I might as well pray! Often we only have “time” to offer a few quick prayers hoping to bring God into the situation so that everything will be fine. Sometimes this proves to be the case (although probably more because of God’s great love for us than from the power of our prayers). If you are involved in a work of God, and hopefully we are all active in a

“‘And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God” (Luke 24: 49-53). Jesus instructed His followers

My favorite Bible story is found in 2 Kings 6. It is the story of the prophet Elisha and his involvement in the war between Israel and the Arameans. The king of the Arameans had declared war against Israel, which wasn’t a good thing for Israel with its smaller army. The Aramean king called his generals together and gave them the battle plans for the attack on Israel. The one thing that the king hadn’t planned on was that God was listening to the strategy as well. He told Elis

No one would argue that Christian service is important. Serving on teams and developing programs that help the church carry out its mission is vital. But we tend to be so activity-oriented that we often forget that the heart of Christianity is a relationship with a person, the person of Jesus Christ. This essential relationship often takes a backseat to our Christian service. Restoring this missing element in our prayer lives will rejuvenate us spiritually and enable us to ca

In the midst of a season when they are needed most, pastors are burning out at an alarming rate! As Christians, we should feel deep agony over this fact, especially since the main reason for it appears to be . . . us! The very Christians who comprise the congregations of pastors who are rapidly dropping out of ministry are often the cause. God has not called us to criticize or damage our pastors. He has called us to love them (1 Cor. 13:1-13), to be submissive to their leader

Like a mighty wave rolling across the Church around the world, comes the cry from millions of believers, “Oh God, send a revival!” Like no time in recent history, the Church is becoming aware of its own desperate condition and the even more critical needs of our cultures. It is reassuring to know that for once, the Church is not looking to another program or strategy to try to change the world. We’re recognizing that it is going to take heaven-sent revival. Taking our cue fro

There is a movement being encouraged across the United States of America to encourage Christians to pray at polling sites in their communities. Here are three ways you can participate along with prayer points and a written prayer to help you: 1. Encourage and organize intercessors in your community to cover every polling site in prayer (physically, if possible).  Secure a complete list of the polling places that are now or that will be open on Election Day. Ask others to “ado

Our creative Father loves to develop newness in and around His people. He is at work to transform us from old to new. By the power of His Spirit, we are continually being made new day by day. As you look to this new year, consider studying these passages prayerfully by yourself, with your family, or with your small group. Take some time to consider the goodness of the Lord, and how He has made provision to transform you into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Talk about how

“The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.’     “So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hand

New Testament Christians were praying Christians. The church was born at a prayer meeting on the day of Pentecost, and the disciples continued to pray as they went on their way proclaiming the good news of Jesus around the world. That really shouldn’t surprise us. The leaders of the church, the apostles, had gone to Jesus earlier and asked Him to teach them to pray. He did. Then He instructed them to teach others what He had taught them. From Jesus, to the apostles, to the fi

One of the greatest recorded revivals took place in the southern kingdom of Judah during the reign of Josiah. As we pray and long for revival today, looking back at this biblical revival can help us understand more of what it is we are seeking. This account is found in chapters 34 and 35 of 2 Chronicles. Josiah was just eight years old when he became king. As a teenager, something happened that caused him to begin to seek after the Lord. 2 Chronicles 34:3 says, “In the eighth

As a minister of the Gospel, I have officiated at many weddings. There are so many details to be attended to for a wedding to take place: guests must be seated, candles lit, songs played, aisle runner in place. But the most important detail is the essential one…is the bride ready? Until she is ready and in place, the wedding cannot begin, no matter how many other details have been taken care of. The Lord has taught me so much about the preparation of the Bride of Christ for h

Author, Stormie O’Martian, in her book,  The Power of A Praying Parent , says, “The battle for our children’s lives is waged on our knees. When we don’t pray, it’s like sitting on the sidelines watching our children in a war zone getting shot at from every angle. When we do pray, we’re in the battle alongside them, appropriating God’s power on their behalf.” She also says, “Whenever you pray for your child, do it as if you are interceding for his or her life–because that’s ex

This prayer guide is easily adaptable for individuals, small groups or entire churches focused on confession, repentance and the forgiveness of God: Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 out loud:  “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Spend some time in prayer based on this passage: Father, we are Your people, called by Your name

Death Valley is an expansive desert in California, known as the lowest, driest, and hottest location in all of North America. It is a barren, desolate place that holds the record for the highest recorded temperature in the Western Hemisphere—a mere 134 degrees Fahrenheit! Death is obviously a fitting description. Not much survives in Death Valley, whether vegetation or any human life exposed to the elements. But that doesn’t necessarily mean life is not possible. In 2005, a r

I love the written word. Books, new and old, have made a major difference in my life. I have been taught, encouraged, rebuked, and given fresh vision by great authors. Some of my favorite books are still being written. The Lord is using my contemporaries to minister to me through their writings. However, I most often find myself irresistibly drawn to older authors. There seems to be a depth and a passion that is rarely matched today. It could be likened to drinking from the c

There is a tendency for us to think of confession as a personal act we do before God. Certainly much confession is of this personal, private nature that is only between ourselves and God. But God’s Word gives us another picture of confession that is corporate in its practice. It is confession from a group of people who are aware of the corporate aspect of their sin and aware that private confession is inadequate to deal with this problem. I believe that the call of God to the

Jonathan Graf, president of the Church Prayer Leaders Network, stated: “Several years ago, I was in a church that clearly “gets it” where prayer is concerned. Mountain View Community Church in Fresno, CA, hosted our “Can Prayer Save America?”  From the time the conference opened, it was evident that prayer is simply a part of this church’s DNA. “When we lead such a conference, we ask that the host church provide worship. We did not coach the worship team at Mountain View to l

Here are some scriptural ways to pray with confidence and effectiveness! Why not take one a week and practice each principle so that you can learn to apply it to your life of prayer? Confess and break with all conscious and unconfessed sin so that your prayers are birthed out of righteousness and will accomplish much. Take time to confess before God and to meet with a trusted person or persons to confess to and ask for prayer:  “God has no use for the prayers of the people wh

God is doing a new thing today. If you want to be “in” on what God is doing, you must begin praying with greater passion and intensity. If you want purpose and meaning to life, and if you want your life to really count for God and to make a difference in this world…PRAY! Prayer is what God is calling His people to do today as a part of His plan for this world. God is moving all things toward completion. I don’t pretend to know when or how or any of the details that people oft

There’s a fascinating change taking place in the way the Church perceives prayer. From dusty devotions and meeting personal needs, prayer has taken center stage in our attempts to reach the lost. Prayer seems to have become the Divine Strategy for the completion of the task of world evangelization. Wherever the church is growing the most, you find the Church praying the best. The explosion of prayer evangelism is happening in Korea, in Argentina, in many places in Africa…and