As with anything new you undertake, the more you practice praying out loud, the more confident and comfortable you will become.

If you are a Christian and you need something, the first place you should turn is to the Lord. Jesus teaches us that we are to ask for anything we need, even for daily bread. That’s how dependent on Him we are to be. It seems to me then, that if I want to grow in prayer, the first place to go is to God. So, I suggest praying about prayer. Isn’t it interesting, and maybe a bit sad, that we struggle so much in prayer, and yet never come to the Lord and ask Him to help us to pra

Don’t waste the gift of time. Why not pause each day and pray for 30 minutes? It could turn some idle time into eternally productive time. Here’s how ... 5 MINUTES: Pause and look up to God; read one of the psalms. Step into the Lord’s presence in prayer; calm your heart in His presence. Walk into the throne room and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father. 5 MINUTES: Look up at God and praise Him for who He is—for His nature and character. Think of everything He has

Those of you who know me well or follow me on social media realize how much I love Lake Michigan. The views are spectacular. The beaches are amazing. The sand dunes are some of the most plenteous in the world. And the sunsets are blazingly magnificent. Yet something has been happening gradually over the past thirty years. Inch by inch, the water level has been climbing, until it is now the highest in recorded history. Because of this, the forces of nature have destroyed beach

Longtime Presbyterian minister Dr. Wilbur Chapman (early 1900s) was 26 when called to be pastor of Wanamakers Church in Philadelphia. His first Sunday, an old gentleman came up to him and said, “You’re much too young to be the pastor of such a fine church as this.” Chapman thought the guy was a kook. The older gentleman went on to tell him that he and another gentleman had decided to pray for him—that the Holy Spirit’s power would fall on him each time he stepped into the pul

> This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9–10,13) Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the sain

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I believe that one of the most powerful, transformative prayers that can be prayed in any circumstance, is the heart of the Lord’s Prayer (often called the Disciples Prayer or the Model Prayer): “Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). As I was praying this one day over a particular situation, I sensed from The Lord that this was an invitation for an invasion. An invasio

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Growing up in church was a wonderful privilege for me. One of the benefits was the encouragement I received to memorize scripture. I’m pretty sure that the first full chapter I ever memorized was Psalm 23. The beautiful imagery and spiritual depth of the Good Shepherd’s Psalm has been a blessing for me throughout my life. Though I rarely use the King James Version anymore, I still revert to that when praying thr

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Once a year, it’s usual and appropriate to prayerfully look back, remember, assess, and reflect on how the year has gone…and then to prayerfully take a look forward…seeking the heart of God about how to live more grace-filled, courageous lives that bring glory to His Kingdom. I suggest that, despite all that has changed, been different or unsettling, or that has challenged the limits of our faith – we should not

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Many of us are carrying burdens these days. Do you find it as difficult as I do to just bring them to the feet of the Lord, set them down, and ask Him to take them upon Himself? 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” If you are anything like me, sometimes I set a burden down then grab it up again. This is complet

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19). In this season of uncertainty and unrest, discerning the voice of God is critical. What is He saying to us about peace, justice, mercy, forgive

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries We have all been told to pray for guidance when we are unsure of what to do. But, how many of us actually know how to do this in a powerful and effective way? God’s word offers us the key to approach the Father with the confidence we are looking for when we face times of uncertainty. God clearly tells us that He desires the best for us. His best! “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Have you ever been in a season of spiritual waiting? For Jews this was the period following Passover and leading up to Shavuot (commemorating the giving of the Law/Torah). Christians also embrace this time of waiting from Easter to Pentecost. After the Resurrection of Jesus, He spent 40 days with the disciples. He ate with them, taught them, and demonstrated His resurrected life. But after 40 days, He ascended t

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). For many years now, I have found myself daily praying to dwell in God’s house. Based on David’s great prayer in Psalm 27, I regularly ask to be able to gaze on the Father’s beauty and to always seek Him wherever He m

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries The health crisis that marked 2020 brought about an amazing silence across the earth. Sports events were silenced and concerts were cancelled. The shouts of children at playgrounds grew quiet. I watched the news in amazement one day as it showed the streets of downtown New York City almost deserted and still. We are by nature a noisy species. Even in the lockdown, we eagerly attempted to escape to our former act

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Then Job answered the LORD and said, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:1-2). Studying Job during a difficult season has been very enlightening and convicting! Job kept saying that he trusted God, all the while whining and complaining about his circumstances…until God reminded Job that ultimately, He was the Almighty Creator of all things and the Overseer of

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) The Lord has amazing timing, doesn’t He? For several months, I had been pulling together resources and studying Scriptures to write a devotional about peace. By the time I sat down to actually write it, peace had become far more than just a topic to study. It was becoming an integral

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4, ESV) I was a 13-year-old paperboy, getting up at 3:30 a.m. every morning to fold and pack my papers and put them on my bicycle. Off into the dark by 4 a.m., I typically finished by 5-5:30 and could crawl back into bed for a short finish to the night’s slee

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries We all know that in good times, it seems easier to pray. Our prayers flow from a place of gratitude and peace, thankfulness and joy. Yet, in difficult or painful times, it may seem much harder to press into the Lord in prayer. We know in our heads that God is the place we should go whether our circumstances are good or bad; however, sometimes we can feel paralyzed with fear, doubt, anger, disbelief, sadness, unc

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries In every election cycle, American Christians have amazing opportunities sandwiched between grave dangers. We are privileged to be a part of a nation of people who have the responsibility to choose their own leaders. For those believing that godly leaders are a source of blessing to a nation, elections provide us with great opportunity. However, when we begin to put our hope in leaders rather than in the Lord, we

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Father, the day of celebration is upon Your people! As we anticipate Your Son’s birth, we ask that you would stop our rushing around, and our frantic preparation to help us consider that Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior…is already here among us! He is God with Us – Jesus, our Emmanuel. E – Expectation Emmanuel, show me how each one of my days, not just Christmas, should and can be filled with the expectatio

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I am amazed at the clear insight God granted King David in so many areas, including giving and possessions. In his later years, David gathered everything needed for his son Solomon to build the Temple of God, a place of worship. As you read his heartfelt prayer (and, I suggest, you read all of 1 Chronicles 29 to get the full picture of this extraordinary generosity that was displayed by the people of Israel), we

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I’m often asked about my own prayer life. It’s always embarrassing to answer because I don’t feel like a great man of prayer. But the opposite is true also. I dislike answering because it looks like I’ve got it all together. So can I just say that I’ve learned a lot through the years and am praying better than I used to, but still feel like I’m on a journey with a long way to go? With that as an understanding, I

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries If you are married or have been in a romantic relationship, you likely can recall some special times or seasons when you were overwhelmed by the way your loved one planned the perfect setting with great care and attention to detail. Perhaps it involved music, a special event, a quiet dinner, or just a peaceful evening watching a glorious sunset at your favorite spot. What made this experience significant in your