PrayerLife

An essential ingredient to a successful marriage is forgiveness. Each of us are broken people and we will inevitably sin against one another. We have been forgiven from all our sin by the holy God that was supremely offended and we are called, by Him, to forgive each other in the same way. "As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive" (Col. 3:13).

Jesus identifies "hardness of heart" as the primary reason for divorce (Matt. 19:8). Our hearts become hardened when we allow our sin toward one another to go unconfessed and unforgiven. James writes, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16). Join with me as we pray for our marriages.

There is hope for your marriage because the greatest relational separation imaginable has already been reconciled. We were separated and estranged from God far more than we could be from any human relationship. Jesus has made forgiveness and reconciliation with God possible through faith in Him. "Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel a...

We not only receive salvation from Jesus by faith, we are also constantly dependent upon Jesus to live out our daily relationship with Him. Apart from Him we can do nothing! Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser ... Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine;...

Jesus makes the ultimate claim to being the only way to have eternal life. The world is filled with deceptive messages, promising fulfillment in this life and the afterlife. Jesus forces us to wrestle with His claim of exclusivity. To simply "shrug him off" with an "I don't think so" is a tragic mistake with eternal consequences.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:24-26) "Resurrection Life" is not only a future event, it is also a present reality! This is true because Resurrection Life is a person and his name is Jesus. Resurrection Life is the present reality of every bel...

The key idea of Jesus being the Good Shepherd is that Jesus is not simply a "hired hand" who doesn't have a personal investment in his sheep and abandons them at the first sign of danger. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for the sheep and lays down his life for them. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a she...

Jesus communicates that He is the exclusive means of access to a personal relationship with God. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:7-9).

Jesus identified himself as being the source of light and life. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Join with me as we pray for Jesus' light and life giving ministry to impact our families, our churches, and our communities.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35). The "bread of life" is a person and his name is Jesus. He is the source of eternal life. Jesus uses the metaphor of eating his flesh and drinking his blood for a faith that is relying on him alone for LIFE !

"Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ" (Colossians 4:3). The Apostle Paul invited Believers to pray for open doors of ministry. One of the most powerful weapons we have against Satan and his strategies of deception and destruction is prayer. Let's unite our hearts and voices in prayer as we intercede for our churches and church leaders, in...

Paul exhorts Titus, a young leader in the church, to be a leader who knows the truth, lives the truth, and defends the truth. Regrading church leaders Paul writes, "He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9). Pray for the leaders of your church today that they may be leade...

The writer of Hebrews invite believers to pray for their leaders. He writes, "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things" (Hebrews 13:18). Church leaders are a public testimony of the truth they represent. Join with me as we pray for the strengthening and encouragement of church leadership, that they may live honorably.

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7). Those serving as leaders in our churches should be walking with Christ and living out their faith in such a way that we can see their godly character and imitate their passion for Jesus.

Chances are you are painfully aware of a Pastoral Leader who has been disqualified from leadership in the church due to a moral failure. The Apostle Paul writes, "I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Cor. 9:27). Join with me as we pray for the integrity and spiritual vitality of our church leaders.

Scripture emphasizes the important influence of the role of leaders in the Church by maintaining high standards for those in leadership. Paul describes the qualities desired for church leaders in 1 Timothy 3. "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded,...

The Apostle Paul invited the Church family pray for him, "that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19). Our church leaders need our prayerful support that they might faithfully and courageously declare God's truth with boldness in an increasingly hostile cultural setting.

We are saved by faith in Jesus through the empowerment of God's Spirit. The Apostle Paul exhorts us to live each day of our lives expressing that same faith and relying on the Holy Spirit's power. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). Just as we are saved by the Spirit's power, so too we are to live each day in reliance on Him.

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:4-7). Our indwelling God desires to express himself and manifest himself through us in order to enhance the liv...

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come" (John 16:13). One of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the truth of God to us and help us walk in it. Transformation happens as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit's ministry in...

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). Apart from Christ, mankind is condemned because they are hopeless violators of God's holiness. If, however, you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, you now are under the Law of the Spirit of Life - meaning that your sin has been forgiving and Christ's righteousness has been credited to y...

The Apostle Paul identifies two kinds of people on the face of the planet. There are those who are "in the flesh" and those who are "in the Spirit." "In the flesh" people are unsaved, spiritually dead, and without Christ. "In the Spirit" people are those who have believed the gospel and trusted Jesus for their salvation. They are now indwelt by the Spirit of God and are spiritually alive. Are you...

To "hold fast" or "hold on" to something means that we tighten our grip with the intention of not letting go. To "hold" to Christ's teaching means that we grasp it, tighten our grip, and allow it to transform our lives. Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

Caleb provides a stirring model of an aging man with a robust faith. He and Joshua, alone, believed God and want to take the land God had promised. When portions were being assigned it was Caleb who said, "give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I sh...

Many who serve in the role of caregivers for their aging loved ones find themselves emotionally and physically fatigued. Physical exhaustion and emotional depression are common complaints. Whether you are providing care for your aging spouse or helping meet the needs of your aging parent, the effects of the stress experiencedJoinJ can be debilitating. Join with me as we pray for those who are prov...