“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice…” (2 Tim. 1:5). “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:14-15). It is one of the highest honors God

What kind of impression does your home-life give to your children? You cannot teach them what you do not know! You cannot give them what you do not possess! If you have an empty cupboard, you cannot provide food for your child. If you, yourself, are not right with God, you cannot influence your child Godward. It is home instruction that determines what your boys and girls will be. The devil will try to get at your child soon enough. Guard him as long as you possibl

No matter how excellent the constitution and laws of a country may be, or what its material resources, they are insufficient and ineffectual, unless a sure foundation for social order and public virtue is laid in the healthy regulation and wise discipline of its families. The nation is but the aggregate of individuals comprising it; and unless there are good fathers and mothers, good sons and daughters, brothers and sisters – there will be no good citizens. It is because our

The Significance of the Incarnation “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46:10). Today, ask God for a fresh revelation of the significance of the incarnation. Commit to Him in prayer, your desire to be still this Advent season and know that He is God: Thank You Father that Jesus became flesh and lived among us, and that His glory was revealed! Father, thank You for sending Jesus, Your own Son

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING Here are some creative prayer ideas to do individually, as a couple, a family, small group or Sunday School class, etc. You can tweak it to fit your needs in many ways, as you will soon see! Here are several ways to utilize this as a means of expressing thankfulness/gratefulness to God using The Living Bible translation (feel free to use whatever translation you wish…or even multiple tr

I was six months pregnant and my winter jacket no longer fit. As my husband Danny and I walked through Sears and Roebuck, we noticed what seemed to be the perfect coat. It was $69 and with tax it would cost $75. It might as well have cost $1,000. Danny was in seminary and we barely had enough money to pay our monthly bills. We left the store empty-handed. In the car driving home, we lifted up the situation to the Lord. On the way back to our apartment, we stopped to check our

“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

“Let us come before Him with Thanksgiving…” (Psalm 95:2). In the Old Testament, thank offerings were given in gratitude for deliverance from sickness, trouble or death, or for a blessing received. Often, these thank offerings were accompanied by an animal sacrifice, prayer and an expression of praise: “I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:17). Today, as New Testament believers, our thank offerings have taken a different form:•

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

If your family is like most, you have at least from time to time fallen prey to the frantic pace of busy lifestyles and the demands of work, home and even church activities. We live in unsettled times. Our children are bombarded from all sides with the realities of war, terrorism, school violence, immorality and confusion. Have you wondered if it is possible for your family to settle into a peaceful, joy-filled existence that honors the Lord and serves Him instead of submitti

“‘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

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

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near Your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You. Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage

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

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

Fasting might seem like a somewhat strange topic to introduce into the family setting. In many cultures today, the regular practice of fasting is virtually unheard of – even in the Christian community. However, if you carefully consider Scripture in light of its living and active message for our lives today, you will see how relevant fasting is as we mature in our walk with Christ. If your family will endeavor to learn about and begin to practice this vital spiritual discipli

“O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands” (Psa. 63:1-4). When King David wrote these words, he demonstrated why the Lord considered him to be a man after His own h

There is a great deal of confusion concerning the Word of God today. The confusion is not among those who doubt the authority or authenticity of the Bible. Instead, it is happening virtually every week among conservative, Bible believing Christians. It comes from blurring the distinction between hearing and doing the Word of God, and is, unfortunately, an easy trap for so many of us to fall into. It may begin like this: We go to church on Sunday and hear a powerful sermon bas

One major spiritual step every family must take is to obey Jesus’ call for unity: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:23). In order to become one as a family, it is important to seek God’s heart in the relationship of prayer. It is in praying with and for one another while listening to the voice of the Father that agreement and harmony is possible. Jesus clearly taught that the H

Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton wrote a sobering book entitled, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, in which they describe the current religion among the vast majority of youth in our nation. In the largest study ever conducted on the spirituality of U.S. teens, researchers pored over transcripts from written interviews with thousands of teens and follow-up face to face interviews with 250. Most identified themselves as Christ

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

A missions-minded church in Indiana produces a prayer calendar every year focused on the missions and mission partners they support. Calendars are very easy to produce and share with today’s technology! This church has pictures of their missions partners and their family with names, ages of the children, etc. They also post some interesting facts about each family member. The calendar has a map of the area where each missions partner is serving, whether at home or in another

When we consider family and friends who are living outside of a relationship with Jesus, it is sometimes difficult to know how to pray effectively without giving up. Often, it is not enough to proclaim the message to those we love. There are forces of darkness working overtime to keep people from hearing and responding to the gospel. The salvation of people is a spiritual battle, but God has given us spiritual weapons with which to fight and make a way for those we love to en