People who are living breathe. People who are Christians pray. As soon as a child is born, he breathes the air around him, and as soon as a person is born again in Christ, he wants to pray. But prayer can be a struggle. Why do we struggle so much with prayer? It's because we lose sight of the most important reason we are praying. The purpose of prayer is fellowship with God. When you [...]
Jesus said prayer was important. It’s actually an essential part of our relationship with God. Read what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 26:40. And He came unto the disciples and found them asleep, and said unto Peter, “What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?” Jesus actually said it should be possible for us to spend an hour in prayer. Have you ever spent one uninterrupted hour in prayer with God? No [...]
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5 When Life Doesn't Make Sense, Ask God For Wisdom Did you know that God gives wisdom and He will gladly give you all the wisdom you need under one condition? What is that one condition? You have to ask for it. It is that simple. In [...]
Are you ready to quit? Some of the greatest spiritual experiences of my life have come after I reached my limits! When You Are Under Attack God Hears You If you've ever felt that circumstances were against you, that you were under attack, or you were on the verge of losing in life, then you need to read everything David wrote. He wrote Psalm 31 and it is possible he wrote it when he was [...]
Growing Christians aren't advancing in their spiritual walk by accident. Spiritual maturity comes to those who understand the concept of a "Christian walk." Just the word picture itself tells you it takes steps, deliberate steps, to move forward in victory and spiritual growth. Just like a healthy person needs water, food, and air, a healthy spiritual life comes to those who understand what you need to be spiritually healthy. Think about the following "spiritual needs" [...]
Remember these 5 critical decisions and move ahead with clarity and purpose in your life with Christ. If you have been walking with God for a long time, you are not immune to the tempation to give up. What if you are in a crisis of life where your questions seem bigger than the answers. Don't give up! This is not new, you are not the first Christ follower who has felt this way. Remember [...]
Spiritual discipline gives us a railway to run on. Having a spiritual growth plan creates intentionality and a sense of purpose. If you are struggling in areas of spiritual growth, I encourage you to take time and study each of the spiritual disciplines and begin to incorporate each one into your walk with God. MEDITATION Psalm 1:2, But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. PRAYER/CONFESSION [...]
It was the summer between my junior and senior year of college. In the grand scheme of things, it should have been one of the greatest times of my life. I was 21 years old, probably in the best shape of my life, close to the finish line in getting a college degree, growing in my relationship with God (I think I read my Bible almost every day that summer) and I was heading back [...]
As a youth minister Part of my “job” is to have an answer to give when a teenager comes to me with a problem. I’m usually okay with that but one day a few years ago I found myself in a conversation with a very distraught teenage boy and when he asked for advice, I said, “I don’t know what to tell you.” I still remember that moment of total helplessness. I met Anthony in [...]
