A Worthy Title and Not Mindless Filler We’ve talked about people who just pray and what the word amen means and doesn’t mean. Let us now consider how we use the word Lord in our prayers. Proper Use of Lord According to the dictionary, Lord means God. It can also refer to Jesus. We see […]
King Hezekiah Prays for Deliverance Starting with Isaiah 36, this otherwise prophetic book switches to a narrative for four chapters, talking about King Hezekiah. The first one is about the source of the king’s confidence. King Hezekiah, a direct descendant of King David, rules the nation of Judah from the city of Jerusalem. Things aren’t […]
A Careless Word or a Faith Reflection? The word just pops up often when it comes to prayers. Is it an idle word we say because we’ve heard others say it? Or does it reveal insight about how we view God? Regardless, we must be careful when we just pray. We Need to Just Pray […]
Four Keys from the Early Church Just days after Pentecost, the people who follow Jesus begin to hang out. This is the first church. What did they do? In the book of Acts, Doctor Luke records four key things: In addition, they meet every day at the temple (outreach) and in homes (fellowship). They share […]
Psalm 179 from Beyond Psalm 150 The book of Job records dialogue between Job and his four friends. Each one offers him their perspective on the situation—through their limited theology. To varying degrees, all four assert that Job’s downfall is either his fault or God’s doing. Job disagrees, maintains his innocence, and proclaims God’s blamelessness. […]
The Bible is Full of Surprising Verses That We Will Do Well to Explore Sometimes I see things that surprise me when I read the Bible—things I think shouldn’t be there. One example is when God tells Jeremiah to not pray for the people of Judah. Wait, isn’t Judah part of God’s chosen people? Yes, […]
Insights About Praying For One Another James writes that we are to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that we may be healed (James 5:16). Though the context of this instruction is for healing, we’re not wrong to extend this idea of praying for one another to a broader […]
Psalm 175 from Beyond Psalm 150 After a remnant of the exiled people return to the promise land, Ezra and Nehemiah continue to reform the people’s spiritual practices. In response, the community separates themselves from foreigners and confesses their sins and the sins of their ancestors. Then they hear the law read to them. In […]
Isaiah Tells the People that God Will Choose Them Again, but Did He Ever Stop? One phrase jumps out from today’s passage in Isaiah’s prophecy to God’s chosen people: once again he will pick Israel. God, through Isaiah, gives his people hope for a better tomorrow. At this particular time, however, God’s people are discouraged; […]
Psalm 174 from Beyond Psalm 150 Several nations come to wage war against the nation of Judah. King Jehoshaphat declares a fast, and the people come together to seek God. Jehoshaphat stands before the people and says this prayer. It sounds much like a psalm seeking deliverance (such as Psalm 86 and many others). Yahweh, […]