Trials and Prayer
When you are on the fence about whether to share your trial, your hurt or your burden with a brother or sister in Christ, be sure to remember the words of 2 Corinthians 1:11. The Apostle Paul would have us know that when we keep our struggles to ourselves we bypass God’s ordained support system for our lives and we even deprive God of a measure of praise that he would otherwise receive.
Second Corinthians 1:11 tells us that we are truly “helped” by the prayers of our fellow disciples. For Paul his despair (v.8) was transformed into hope and perseverance (v.10)! There is genuine strength and sustenance that is granted to us because of the intercession of God’s people.
More importantly, 2 Corinthians 1:11 goes on to say that when the prayer circle for our hurts is broadened there are more Christians who end up giving thanks to God when his gracious answer to our team-praying is finally provided. So if you are in the middle of a difficult problem, be sure not to go it alone!
Trials and Prayer
When you are on the fence about whether to share your trial, your hurt or your burden
Boldness
When we think of what it means to be a godly person, several virtues are likely to come to mind…
Idolatry
The challenging New Testament letter of 1 John ends with the poignant summation to “keep yourself from idols” (5:21). While our minds may revert to flannel graph images of…
Suffering and Openness
When we encounter tough times we tend to want to isolate ourselves. Because of the pain, fear of embarrassment, or doubts regarding others’ understanding, we often choose to…
Shine Your Light
Jesus was clear that he has no interest in “covert Christians.” He expects our commitment to him to “shine” forth in everything we do. He has no tolerance for…
Anxiety
When we are gripped with anxiety, we are good for nothing! The Greek word the New Testament uses for this vice paints the picture of a mind that is scattered and divided, having trouble concentrating…
That Uncomfortable Feeling
I recently read an article based on the stated premise that “the Bible should be read for one’s enjoyment.” With that objective, it was no surprise that the rest of the piece consisted of the author aggressively…
Earthly Jobs
The Bible calls all Christians to see their daily work at their so-called “secular jobs” as a series of sacred acts of service to our King. We must look beyond our earthly bosses…
Exchanging Our Expletives
Words reveal the heart. Jesus said, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt. 12:34). In our culture, expletives—words blurted in moments of frustration, shock, or excitement—often expose what fills a person’s heart. While many Christians avoid crude and obscene language, there is a more subtle problem we must face: the misuse …