Ryan LyttonThere are 211 instances of “the practice of communicating with a deity” in the Bible, according to the Logos Bible app‘s Factbook . Such a list demonstrates the massive undertaking that is the study of prayer. So, when we approach the topic of...
Jessica ClarkA few years ago as I was exploring spiritual disciplines, I found myself surprised at how often fasting came up. Fasting wasn’t something I heard much talked about in the churches and communities I’d been a part of. But it kept coming up...
Christa Threlfall“Shh—I’m listening to your opinion of God!” If you, by some secretive means, were able to eavesdrop on the private conversations between my husband and me, you would get a pretty good gauge on the status of our marriage. Though it...
If spiritual disciplines are those practices which form us spiritually, there can be none so important as prayer—our conversation with God, our Lord and Creator. Yet this most simple and most important of the disciplines can sometimes be the hardest...
Robert ElmerIn the final hours of a hectic day, sometimes it’s all we can do to get the kids to bed, or rinse the dinner dishes, or whisper a quick prayer before crawling under the covers. And then the alarm is set for tomorrow, when we’ll do it all over again...
Matthew BoffeyNo church leader wants to admit it, but for many of us it’s true: we still don’t have a sustainable habit for personal Bible study and prayer. Here are five ways forward—true for anyone, church leader or not. 1. Know your why In Man’s Search for...
Logos StaffOur political leaders need prayer, no matter who they are. And as Paul exhorted Timothy, Christians are called to pray for those “in high positions.” As we go about everyday life, the realm of politics often seems so far removed. Or, to be honest...
Jason StoneMark Ward and Harold Senkbeil talk through what it means to set our eyes on Christ through difficult times and to pray for those facing calamity. Watch as Dr. Senkbeil shares about his own recent experience with tragedy, answers from the Word about...
God calls all Christians to become more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:18), and this transformation happens in the innermost part of a person: their heart. This progression is called spiritual formation, which involves...
An old saying goes, “A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to come unraveled.” And even though that’s true, Christians still need encouragement to pray. Here are nine sermon illustrations on prayer to help provide it. 1. How God listens From 300...
Lexham PressBy John Bornshein Why is it important to pray? Knowing the answer—and then doing something with that knowledge—has the power to change our lives. How, exactly? Read on. This excerpt comes from A Prayer Warrior’s Guide to Spiritual Battle: The Front...
Bible Study MagazineCan we learn how to pray like Jesus? We know he prayed in the wilderness and in the garden of Gethsemane. We hear snippets of his conversation with the Father in John 11 when he raised Lazarus from the dead and in Luke 23 when he hung from the cross...
We can learn a lot from others about prayer, but often we forget to seek out the Bible and how others throughout biblical history prayed. Yet we can glean much from Old Testament prayers and those faithful few who prayed them and approached God...
Faithlife Live is our live, cross-denominational show that features in-depth conversations with key ministry leaders on deep, theological topics. In this Faithlife Live, join Paul Miller for a discussion on the importance of prayer in the...
Mary JahnkeFirst Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing,” yet how many of us do? Prayer is so hard that unless circumstances demand it—tragic accidents, an illness, or saying grace at a meal—many Christians simply don’t. And without even...
In this excerpt from Dr. Walter R. Strickland II’s Mobile Ed course, he offers guidance for shepherding your church on race. *** It is always difficult to shepherd people but especially shepherding in the aftermath of a highly racialized event...
Karen EngleWhat does it take to pray like a Puritan? And why would we want to? For the Puritans, prayer was neither casual nor dull but a passionate affair. A cry for mercy. Unabashed praise for the Creator of all things. Vibrant expressions of deep Christian...
Jennifer GrishamThe simplest definition of prayer is talking to God. While that’s certainly true, prayer is also a unique place where we experience the breadth and depth of the Christian life. Still, prayer isn’t easy—even though it’s one of the most vital parts of...
The excerpt below is adapted from Tim Keller’s Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, part of the Tim Keller Collection. *** I can think of nothing great that is also easy. Prayer must be, then, one of the hardest things in the world. To...
By Walter C. Kaiser Jr., adapted from I Will Lift My Eyes Unto the Hills: Learning from the Great Prayers of the Old Testament In Daniel 9:1–27, we are told that Daniel opened his windows toward Jerusalem three times daily in order to pray to God...
An excerpt on sermon preparation and prayer by Matthew Kim, adapted from Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry. It’s something that we all know in our minds. We’ve considered it. But it’s often difficult to put into practice...
paul-burkhartThe Daily Office: Seminarian’s Best Friend For my seminary Internship, each semester we have a different spiritual practice to engage in for the semester. The goal is to expose different people to different ways of engaging God in a deep way so that...
Morris ProctorThis post is from Morris Proctor, certified and authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. Morris, who has trained thousands of Logos users at his two-day Camp Logos seminars, provides many training materials. A Logos user recently contacted me...
D. A. Carson is one of the most respected New Testament scholars in the world. But how does he study the Bible for his personal devotions? In this excerpt from Bible Study Magazine, Carson opens up on his prayer life, private study of...
Liz MeltonThere’s a slew of evangelistic methods out there, but one element is key to their effectiveness: prayer. If prayer is absent from our methodology, we’re missing one of the most essential elements of effective evangelism. But how can we...
Ryan BurnsDeveloping a prayer life is important as you go through seminary life. It is important because of the busyness of your schedule, to prepare you for future ministry, and to equip you lead your family. One of the reasons why you want to develop a...
Ryan NelsonIn the Bible, Jesus performed a lot of miracles. He healed people. He had power over nature. He even overcame death. But what about the miracles he didn’t do? Here are three instances in the Bible where Jesus chose not to do the miraculous...
Ray Deck IIIEvery week—sometimes two or three times a service—we speak directly to the king of the universe while the congregation listens in. That’s a tall order, and it should probably scare us a little more than it does. Thankfully, Jesus set an...
It’s difficult to pray as a family. If you manage to get everyone in the same room, paying attention to something other than a glowing screen, try one of these three methods to lead your family in prayer—and keep even the youngest believers...
Healthy relationships are fueled by dialog—ongoing, honest, two-way conversation. Without open lines of communication, a relationship withers. Nowhere is this more true than in our relationship with God. He speaks to us through the Scriptures, the...