MOVEMENT STORIES

“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

There is an epidemic that is rampant throughout our society and culture today. No part of the country is immune from this plague. Little children suffer from it, as well as the elderly and those in-between. There is no quick cure and many people never recover from it. It breaks up homes, incapacitates people, and contributes to many other diseases. It is busyness! We live in a busy society. Never have there been so many choices concerning what to do or so many pressures that

Are you satisfied with your Christian life? If we answer honestly, most of us would say, “no.” We instinctively realize that there is something more in store for us. There is a level of commitment, an inner peace, a closeness to the Lord that we know is possible, and yet somehow eludes us. The elusive factor that would make all the difference in the Christian life is what might be called the Yada Factor. Yada is simply the Hebrew word for “to know.” It is the word used in the

“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

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

Holiness – it is a subject that seems to have been lost in the shuffle at the end of the second millennium. Those of us who are not wholly focused on becoming like Jesus and seeking earnestly to live holy lives have very little to say to others about holiness. Why am I talking about holiness as related to prayer? For too long I have focused on giving people the tools to pray better and more effectively, not realizing that without holiness, prayers can go unanswered. This is n

“Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my Lord, since you have given me strength.” (Daniel 10:19) Have you ever had such an amazing encounter with God that you thought you were going to die? Time and again in the Scriptures, we read of those who had such encounters. Without exception, there was great fear as they came into contact with God, whether it was Moses list

It’s very obvious in Scripture that the Lord wants us to pray. There are many commands given to us concerning prayer: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1); “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18); “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petitio

“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

Hunger and thirst are natural expressions of the basic human desire and need for food and water. One of the clear indicators that something is wrong physically is when we lose our appetite. It is the same spiritually. To hunger and thirst for God is at the very root of our being. It’s the way God made us. When there is no hunger for the presence of God, it is an indicator that something is wrong spiritually. Because that hunger is so basic to human nature, it often finds fulf

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

Here are some simple ways to help children and youth to grow more confident about praying out loud. There are ideas for pre-readers as well as readers.  Hint – these ideas are for adults too. Learn together as a family: Practice Reading Scripture out loud in the mirror.  This sounds a bit silly at first, but you will find your confidence growing by leaps and bounds as you both see and hear your own voice saying the word of God. Praying Scripture out loud to the Lord:  Learnin

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

From time to time, many of us need a fresh shot of enthusiasm in many areas of our lives. Sometimes, we just need to do something different–to get ourselves out of a rut. Other times, we need to change our attitude, or to overcome feelings of inadequacy, depression, frustration, or anger. We all know that we have a Father in Heaven who is willing to listen, and to provide guidance in all of these circumstances. However, we often let ourselves be overcome or defeated by the...

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

The phone call from my doctor was a surprise to my wife Kim and me. We knew something was amiss with my health, but we had no idea the seriousness of it. It’s amazing how one phone call with unexpected news can realign our best-laid plans. The Lord has amazing timing! For several months prior, I had been pulling together resources and studying Scripture to write a devotional book on prayer, peace, and the presence of Christ. By the time I sat down to write, that peace was far

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

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 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

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

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

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

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 Chri

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

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 I was young I had an uncle who would come visit about once a year. He was just a mailman who worked hard–rain, sleet, snow or hail. There wasn’t anything too special about him, but he managed to endear himself to all his nephews and nieces. Every year when he came home, he would bring with him some new magic trick to impress and amaze us. Without it, we probably wouldn’t have even noticed he was back. With it he earned our excitement every time he came home. When I look

The Apostle Paul gives an interesting picture of prayer in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. He talks to the Corinthian believers about all the hardships he has been through on the missionary trip which he and his team have taken. He says:  “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of de

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

Do you ever find yourself asking God to “just save all the lost people”? If you have ever wanted to have some specific, biblical ways to pray for those who are still lost in darkness, here are seven simple ways to posture yourself before the Father and ask for Him to move: Praying for Open Eyes “I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance a

Here is a simple prayer tip for a prayer room, a 24-7 season of prayer, or for families at home. One person will need to monitor the activity and keep things in order. This is easily adaptable to your own creative ideas! Materials Needed: Small clothespins or other kinds of similar clips Large corkboard, bulletin board, or really any kind of board. Sturdy twine or wire Any kind of paper or 3×5 cards Small table with instructions, cards/paper, things to write or draw with, Bib

They began having at least one or more requests every single day from neighbors. And, they have been very busy praying for each and every one of them. God has been giving the girls some new ways to relate to the neighbors as they have been praying. Here are some of the changes they recently made: The girls wanted their neighbors to know that they really are praying through the prayer requests, so they updated their sign from “How Can We Pray for You?” to “We  Are  Praying for

Two young girls, Makiah and Zalaiah who are passionate about prayer and live in Sacramento, CA, decided to offer their neighbors a unique way to be prayed for! They set up a prayer table for their neighbors taking walks or driving by to stop and leave their requests. (Note: this was started in 2020 during Covid, however this idea can obviously be done in any context.) What You Will Need: Set a table out on your front lawn or driveway with a small basket or container that has

Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing. How do you do that in a practical way? Why not try establishing some prayer triggers as reminders to pray throughout your day? This requires a bit of discipline at the beginning as you will need to determine what triggers would be most effective for you and would be easily remembered. Establishing prayer triggers is also a great way to teach kids to pray regularly. Each time you see a school, you could use it as a prayer trigger to