Category Archives: Prayer

Heart, Mind and Prayer

March 20, 2013 By in Devotional, Prayer

skyDo you ever find it hard to stay focused in prayer or in worship? Why is that? This paraphrase from Thomas Boston, a Scottish theologian, provides some insightful analysis of the pervasive sinfulness of the human heart and mind:

“When God is speaking to men by His Word, or they are speaking to Him in prayer, doesn’t the mind often leave them before the Lord, like so many ‘idols that have eyes, but see not, and ears, but hear not’? The body is bowed down before God, but the world gets the heart. Though his eyes are closed in prayer, a man sees a thousand things; the mind in the mean time, is like a bird escaped out of a cage, skipping from bush to bush, so that, in effect, the man never comes to himself till he is gone from the presence of the Lord. As you reflect on this, don’t say, it is impossible to keep the mind focused in prayer–it is hard, but not impossible. Grace from the Lord can do it (Psalm 108:1), and there are objects of our attention that easily do it. A pleasant idea easily captivates our minds; Continue reading →

Our Father, in Heaven

June 15, 2012 By in Prayer

When I was about five years old, my mother brought me along on a visit to a farmer’s wife. The old house was rambling and full of interesting things for a child to look at and touch; the woman gave me permission to wander about at will. After a while I suddenly realized that I was alone several rooms away from my mother, and I called out for her. I didn’t need anything in particular – I just wanted the security of knowing that she was there. She appeared almost immediately, not because she expected me to call her, but because her ear was open to my cry. She was busy doing other things, but the second I called for her, she answered.

This earthly experience reflects a heavenly reality Continue reading →

Pray for North Korea

May 10, 2012 By in Church - Asia, Prayer

Watching this video and being moved again to pray for North Korea it struck me that in Western democracies like the United States we often are quick to complain about and criticize political leaders, but comparatively slow to be in prayer for them. “First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:1-4)

Praying for Children

March 13, 2012 By in Prayer, Raising Children

Pray with parents whose children are a great concern to them or have become a grief to them.

Lord, give parents the desire of their souls concerning their children, which is to see them walking in the truth. Form Christ in them at a very early age. Let their children know and love you, the God of their fathers. Inspire them to serve you with their whole heart and with a willing mind. Let children be pointed in the right direction as arrows in the hands of their parents, that the parents may count themselves happy to have a quiver full of them. Let children never be arrows that pierce the hearts of their own parents. 2 John 4; Gal. 4:19; I Chron. 28:9; Psa. 127:4, 5.
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Pray for Italy

March 1, 2012 By in Church - Europe, Prayer

What comes to mind when you think of Italy? Soccer? Pizza? Fabulous holidays? How about occultism? Humanistic secularism? Dying Roman Catholicism? Operation World has some good thoughts to help you pray for this country, where the real gospel is scarce and needed:

Pray for Italy to “Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think!” (Ephesians 3:20)

Food and Prayer

January 26, 2012 By in Devotional, Prayer

Charles Wesley is known for being Christianity’s most prolific hymn writer. But the church today uses relatively few of them. Among those solid hymns are ones thanking the Lord for His provision of food, before and after meals. Full of allusions to Scripture, prayers like this can help shape our thinking about meal times and our own prayers before and after we receive God’s gift of food: Continue reading →

A Praying Husband

January 16, 2012 By in Marriage, Prayer, Raising Children

A speaker at a large pastor’s conference told my husband that in discussing how to pray with and for your wife as a pastor with the other speakers, most of them confessed that they never did it. If they prayed for them, they didn’t pray with them. We found this shocking and disturbing.

Since then, the blogoshpere has picked up on the topic, with different pastors encouraging men to take the initiative, get past “the awkwardness”, and just do it. I would like to encourage not just pastors but also all husbands reading this to pray with and for their wives. I can’t imagine my life without this blessing.
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Pray for China

January 13, 2012 By in Church - Asia, Prayer, Video

Over the coming months we’ll occasionally feature “pray for a country” videos from Operation World, as a reminder and encouragement to pray that God who “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6) would by His grace open many doors “for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ” (Col. 4:3), so that those who sit in darkness would see the light of God in Christ. (Matt. 4:16) Pray for China: