Epaphras Prays Podcast

Right now, it appears there's a chance for us to share the good news of the gospel. Today, I want to pray for God's word to spread quickly across our land and be honored. Let's pray for the seeds of faith to find good soil, for workers to be sent out to gather the harvest, and for people to be ready to listen and see. I also want to pray that we can speak boldly about the gospel's mystery through...

Something has shifted. Like a wind coming ‘round from the east to the north, bringing with it a chill, and a foul air. Recent events of tragedy and loss—from the murder of an innocent young woman on a bus, followed by the assassination of a young man speaking at a college campus event, both during our remembrance of the events of 9/11 on its 24th anniversary. These events are horrible, tragic and...

Are we in persistent prayer? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer. Romans 12:12 Most likely we are not as we ought! Christian, we need to be praying, not just in turmoil, emergency or crisis, but in all circumstances, situations, and issues — good and not, and for all others about us. Only the Lord can do what only he can do, and only prayer brings our Lord into the situa...

The dreaded orange cones came into view, signaling road work ahead. On a route I frequently travel, this three-mile stretch of highway is undergoing repairs: one lane, reduced speed, men working. Heavy equipment operates just beyond the cones, moving dirt, dumping rock, burying pipes, and rebuilding the roadbed. Bulldozers grade the earth, front loaders shift massive loads, trench diggers, and eve...

I want to introduce some of the Scriptures we use regularly to intercede for the people of God. Some call these the Apostolic Prayers, because they were written in the Epistles (letters from the Apostles like John, Peter and Paul) to the various assemblies they wrote to. Within these letters were what he was praying for on their behalf. These are written for us to give us insight to what is the wi...

When suffering strikes or joy overflows, our immediate response reveals the condition of our hearts. James 5:13 gives us clear direction: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise." Yet how often do we turn to prayer last instead of first? This Biblical wisdom challenges us to examine whether we're truly praying for ourselves in the way our Lord intends—...

When we read the scriptures, especially the New Testament, it's clear that prayers are focused on God's people. If you look at Paul's letters, you'll see he primarily and exclusively prayed for the church. Epaphras also labored in prayers for his congregation. Jesus prayed all the time and is said to still pray through His followers today. A church's life is closely linked to its prayer life. In R...

Have you ever picked up a book you’ve read before, looked though it again, and thought, “I’d almost forgotten this!” The reminder of something is even more encouraging than the original learning of it. For me, that’s what reading E. M. Bounds on prayer is like. It’s drinking from a mountain spring that never runs dry. Thumbing through the chapter “Prayer Fills Mans Poverty With God’s Riches” I’ve...

Many are blessed to have once heard the sermons in person from C. H. Spurgeon, saying it was memorable to listen when he preached. In the Introduction to a collection of Pulpit Prayers, Dinsdale Young writes, “It was often even more memorable to hear him pray.” Spurgeon was renowned not only for his powerful preaching, but also for the depth and passion of his public prayers. Spurgeon, says Young,...

When Jerusalem's walls lay broken and its people scattered, something remarkable happened. Ezra gathered the assembly, opened the book of the law, and the people stood from dawn until midday—listening, weeping, worshiping. What if our churches today discovered this same forgotten power? What if we stopped talking about prayer and actually made time for it? Imagine walking into a church service whe...

I often see the word blessed when reading the Scriptures. In Job 5, it says, How blessed is the man whom God reproves . Mary was called blessed and highly favored when the angel told her she would be the mother of our Savior. The Bible is full of words like bless, blessing, and blessed. To be blessed means to be happy or highly favored , like Mary was. It can also mean being consecrated or filled...

You're doing everything you know how to do—but the situation still feels impossible. The diagnosis won't change. The relationship won't heal. The circumstances won't bend to your will. You've tried everything within your power, and you're left feeling helpless. What do you do when human effort isn't enough? The Struggle: When We're Truly Powerless "So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer f...

When you go to your prayer closet, do you bring your Bible along? Do you have copies of great and classic prayers in your prayer notebook? It's hard to pray according to God's will without learning from His book. We've talked before about how prayer and the Bible are connected and how important it is to pray using God's Word. Someone who prays should also read the Bible because the God we pray to...

In the bustling region of Decapolis, desperate friends carried their deaf companion to Jesus, imploring Him to heal what only He could heal. This scene from Mark 7 reveals a deep spiritual truth: sometimes the greatest gift we can offer another person isn't our own strength, but our willingness to stand between them and God. The Heart of Going Between To intercede means to pray on behalf of anothe...

Prayer isn’t easy for many of us. Sometimes, we’re unsure if God will answer, or our prayers might be too self-centered. I wants us to enjoy praying, like the Apostle Paul did. By learning from Paul, we can know who to pray to and what to say. — Pastor Alistair Begg Paul's letter to the Ephesians serves as an ideal "prayer manual," and I’ve found 23 examples of what God wants for His church. These...

Two things I read (again) this week that are telling us the same thing. The first from Alistair Begg When we read the prayers in the epistles of the apostle Paul, what is noticeably absent are his prayers for his own material things. It may well be that he didn’t include his own personal prayers in his letters to the churches, but we note that he also didn’t include any instructions that the churc...

What is the fruit of the Spirit? How do we see it in our lives? How can we receive it? The Apostle Paul talks about this in Galatians 5:22. He says the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities show the Holy Spirit's work in those who follow Jesus. Unlike actions that come from selfish desires, the fruit...

In a prophetic book of the Old Testament, one that speaks of the Lord God’s sovereignty, judgement and redemption, is a short hymn, a prayer of praise and thanks to God for his salvation. 1 In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For th...

Throughout biblical history, the relationship between spiritual warfare and physical combat reveals a profound truth: prayer possesses greater power than any earthly weapon. The apostle Paul reminds us, "Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension." (1 Timothy 2:8). The psalmist echoes this sentiment: "So I will bless You as long as I live; in Yo...

How do we know that the Lord even hears us when we pray? Throughout the Psalms we see when they cried out to the Lord, He heard and answered: I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill - Psalm 3:4 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6 Blessed be the LORD...

Intercession for the Church should be anchored in Scripture, using the very prayers Jesus and the Apostles prayed. When we pray biblical verses back to the Lord, we align our hearts with His revealed will and tap into promises He has already committed to fulfill. The bottom line: Scripture-based prayer for the Church is both powerful and purposeful because it reflects God's own intentions for His...

Praying today from the Word of God for the People of God, asking for what He has promised to give to those when we ask Him. We don’t have because we do not ask. God knows our need but has ordained that we should ask Him. It’s been this way since Genesis 4:26, when people began to call upon the name of the Lord. Earthly fathers give gifts to our children, He gives the good gift , the great gift, th...

In a world that demands immediate action and instant results, the ancient practice of prayer might seem like a relic of slower times. Yet Scripture reveals a profound truth: every mighty work of God throughout history began not with human strategy or effort, but with someone on their knees. From Moses interceding for forty days to Daniel's unwavering devotion despite royal decrees, prayer has alwa...

Today’s PrayerCast (podcast) is for those who are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm. If you are “in Christ” and in fellowship with other Believers, a brother or sister in the Lord, hear this intercession for you and pray along, for * LOVE - And this I pray, that our love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that we may approve the things that a...

Today we are praying from the scriptures from Ephesians 6:18-20, where Paul says, keep praying at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication to that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. And also for me, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains...