Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I had just finished preaching on prayer and was approached by a Sunday school teacher from the congregation. She had a great story for me. Knowing that it was a weekend focused on prayer for their church, she had taught her group of 6-year-olds about prayer that morning. When she finished, she invited them to come pray at a little altar she had set up. She was listening to them pray when she was surprised to hea

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I am committed to getting to know the Father more intimately through obeying the command of Jesus in Matthew 6:16-18 (NAS): “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fas

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I have been prayerfully reflecting upon this past year and looking ahead to what God is holding in His heart for me in this new year. His faithfulness emerges so clearly out of the difficult places of the past season of my life. Psalm 86:11 begins, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness…” The way of Christ was to rely fully upon His Father for all things…nothing He did or said was apart f

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7). We don’t often hear the specifics of Jesus’ prayer life when he went off by Himself to quiet, secluded places to seek the face of the Father. We see multiple occasions in Scripture that allude to ho

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries This morning I thought through all that was on my plate for the day and began to feel a bit overwhelmed. Then, a small thought came into my mind… “Maybe you need some aloneness in prayer.” It occurred to me that it was exactly what I was needing…even craving – aloneness. As I sat with the word for a bit, the concept became clearer to me. Aloneness isn’t just being alone…and it isn’t loneliness. It is an attitude

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Recently, I have heard the heart cry of several friends and family who have been enduring significant seasons of suffering. Some are dealing with physical and emotional struggles; others, with financial stresses and setbacks or prodigal children. Still others are agonizing over the suffering or loss of family members or friends. Most are in a place where their prayer lives have become paralyzed. I have been in t

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries When my husband calls me on the phone, he never has to identify himself. I know his voice so well that further identification is not needed. At the risk of embarrassing us both, I will share that almost every phone conversation begins with Dave saying, “Hi Gorgeous!” and my response of “Hi Handsome!” The calls almost always end with “I love you!” I know his voice, and even after the call has ended, the pronounce

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:26 NASB). Years ago, I met a young woman in a Bible study whose family was struggling financially. Her husband was in prison and she had four young sons at home. They were crammed into a very small little house, but were content and happy. Every day she prayed a simple prayer for God to provide for their needs. She ne

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries As our nation continues its moral spiral downward, a scripture that is increasingly referred to is Psalm 11:3: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” It is certainly a contemporary question. The problem comes when we try to supply our own answer to this important question. The answers can come fast and furious: vote this way, protest this action, write your congress person, boyco

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Converting our unceasing thinking into unceasing prayer moves us from a self-centered monologue to a God-centered dialogue.” – Henri Nouwen Reading Nouwen’s quote recently, I paused to consider once again what has been changing about my everyday life as it is gradually being transformed into an unceasing dialogue with God. For many years, having such discourse with God was an elusive reality for me. When I beca

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries James gives us some very important teaching on prayer in James 5:13-18: “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned,

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be broug

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is stagnation. It happens when we quit moving. There are lots of reasons why we quit moving and growing. Sometimes it just isn’t easy and we decide to stay where we are. It’s easier to stay than go. The press of other issues in life sometimes cause us to stop right we are spiritually. Obstacles from situations or other people often bring our spiritual progress to

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I have a sign on my office bulletin board that states, “Sit in silence for ten minutes every day.” It is not as easy as it sounds; however, silence is an important discipline to cultivate in one’s journey towards Christ-likeness. I wish I could say I was good at practicing this discipline, but it is my goal to eventually get to the place where the exercise of silence strengthens my ability to be attentive to God

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries If your life is anything like mine, sometimes it seems to be moving at too fast of a pace. There is a great need to breathe and reflect and recapture some moments of peace and a tangible awareness that Emmanuel, God with us, is indeed just that! When life becomes hectic and frantic, there is a great need for an intentional slowing down in order to connect with God more regularly. Even on days when we are more re

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “To walk in the presence of the Lord means to move forward in life in such a way that all our desires, thoughts, and actions are constantly guided by him. When we walk in the Lord’s presence, everything we see, hear, touch, or taste reminds us of him. This is what is meant by a prayerful life. It is not a life in which we say many prayers, but a life in which nothing, absolutely nothing, is done, said or underst

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Walking the beach is one of my favorite activities. I feel so connected to God as I look at the vast sea, thunderously breathing in and out. The familiar aroma of the salt-laden air and the pleasurable feeling of sand between my toes remind me how many of my senses are fully engaged in this simple experience. Here is a pl

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Andrew Murray stated, “When God gives the Holy Spirit, His great object is the formation of a holy character. It is a gift of a holy mind and spiritual disposition, and what we need above everything else is to say: ‘I must have the Holy Spirit sanctifying my whole inner life if I am really to live for God’s glory.’” Every morning my prayer is, “Father, show me how to be more like Jesus Christ today so that You w

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I recently came across the term “Christ-encountering prayer” described by author Fred Hartley. This concept gripped my heart and had me asking the question, “What does Christ-encountering prayer look like in my life?” Heading to my trusty thesaurus, I came across some intriguing synonyms for “encounter” which stimulated some thoughts that describe ways to experience Christ-encountering prayer. Let’s take a loo

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Living enough years gives you time to look back on the mistakes of your life with some degree of understanding. It

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Keeping a kingdom focus is difficult when circumstances get tough, when we get discouraged, or when we simply get tired and worn down. Yet, we all know of people who epitomize Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” What makes the difference between those who can work tirelessly in thankless and/or tedious service to others…and t

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries During the captivity of Israel in Babylon, things became pretty good for many of the Jews. As a matter of fact, after the 70 years were up, not everyone wanted to return to the land of Israel. Homes had been built, businesses were prospering, and families were comfortable. Returning to their ancestral home meant a long, dangerous journey, after which they would face the tough task of rebuilding Jerusalem. To thi

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I recall being especially imaginative as a child. In first grade, my best friend and I had an imaginary “office” in the big magnolia tree in our front yard. She would dictate imaginary letters while I would write with a stick on the leaves of the trees. We conducted all kinds of imaginary business. In the fourth grade, another friend and I spent hours taking turns telling a never-ending story to one another. As