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Pray and keep on praying

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When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:7-8) As a believer in Christ, we pray. Did you stop to consider that others who do not believe in Christ actually 'pray'? They recite phrases, repeating them over and over, to whatever it is they believe will help them. Prayer is not unique to Christ followers, but it does stem from a heart changed by his grace. It is conversation with God, out of a heart that has been renewed by his touch, and with the intention of getting to share what is in your mind, emotions, and spirit.  What some fail to recognize is that sin actually puts a barrier between them and God. Once sin is confessed, the barrier is removed. When sin is confessed, the blood of Jesus wipes away the guilt and we stand 'right' with God. Does that mean we can go on si...
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Yoke yourself to Jesus

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Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) Over the course of time, we see less and less emphasis on being equally yoked in relationships. In the most literal sense, God is reminding us that the direction, purpose, and even the vision we have within our lives are different - some might say th...
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Why is prayer so hard??

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A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being. (James E. Faust) Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. (Colossians 4:2) I once read that one cannot truly develop a relationship with another without communication. There must be some form of communication - even in the wildlife we can observe there is a form of communication that occurs that welcomes, warns, or wins the attention and affection of others. To be a Christian and NOT pray is kind of like saying you want a relationship, but you aren't willing to see it develop. You want the 'association' without the 'communication'. Paul's instruction to us is to 'devote' ourselves to prayer. When we devote ourselves to something or someone, we are concentrating on it, appropriating time and attention to that pursuit. When ...
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