Category: A Faith in Process

“After the closing supper, his public preaching work being ended, and nothing remaining to be done but to die, he gave himself wholly unto prayer. He was not again to instruct the multitude, nor to heal the sick, and in the interval which remained, before he should lay down his life, he girded himself for…

We know that Jesus often prayed, but there are a few recordings of His actual prayers. But those few recorded prayers can help us understand God, Jesus and ourselves. In Luke 10, Jesus sends 72 (some sources say 70) of His followers ahead of Him in a mission of proclamation and service. At the conclusion,…

Matthew 6:7-13 Amplified Bible 7 “And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 “Pray, then, in this way [as a model or…

Psalm 23 New Living Translation 1 The Lord is my shepherd;    I have all that I need. “Thank You, Lord, for taking care of me and seeing to it that my needs are met.” 2 He lets me rest in green meadows;    he leads me beside peaceful streams. “Thank You for giving me food and water, and for letting me securely…

When you have eaten and are satisfied, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Deuteronomy 8:10 Amplified Bible Several hundred years before Jesus, a tradition arose of offering short, specific prayers all through the day. These prayers are called berakhah [bra-KHAH], meaning “blessing.” Directed toward God, they…

In order to “pray without ceasing,” the Desert Mothers and Fathers followed a pattern of set times during the day for prayer. This has become known as “The Liturgy of the Hours”, “The Divine Offices”, “Fixed-hour Prayer”, or “Praying the Hours”. Originating in Jewish tradition, the practice is based in Psalms: Seven times a day…

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV This has always seemed something of an impossibility. How does one focus attention continually on God without tripping over daily life? But what do other versions/translations of the Bible say? ********** Never stop praying. (NLT) Jesus taught that perseverance is the essential element in prayer. E. M. Bounds…

We know Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-2). We know that Jesus often went off alone to pray (Luke 5:16). So, it is not a stretch to think that Jesus spent those 40 days in the wilderness praying. As a result, He was able to withstand Satan’s attacks. “Jesus himself has shown us by…

Intimacy with God begins by seeking Him first,not just above all things but INSTEAD of all things, even good things. The greatest saint in the world is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice. It is he who is…

God addresses the Israelites’ religious practices in Isaiah 58 (selected verses from NLT). Sort of sounds like Jesus’ words about sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46 NLT), doesn’t it? 1“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.    Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.Tell my people Israel of their sins!2     Yet they act so pious!They come to the Temple every day    and…