Steve was a new believer who attended our singles ministry at Immanuel Alliance Church in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Steve’s wife had recently left him, and due to some medical issues and medication he was taking that impaired his senses, he had lost his job as a truck driver. He was clearly in need of prayer. During…
By Elizabeth Schmus While there is no simple answer to why prayers go unanswered and no easy formula guaranteeing a yes, consider asking the Lord some of these questions: 1. Could God be taking a different or longer path to answering your prayer? I heard a story from some visiting missionaries who shared the gospel overseas with…
Longtime Presbyterian minister, Dr. Wilbur Chapman (early 1900s) was 26 when called to be pastor of Wanamakers Church in Philadelphia. His first Sunday, an old gentleman came up to him and said, “you’re much too young to be the pastor of such a fine church as this.” Chapman thought the guy was a kook. But…
Human beings are created to live in fellowship with God. We are meant to have and to enjoy life in relationship with God. Without this relationship we are like branches cut off from a tree, like toasters not plugged in. Prayer is the way we get in touch with God and the way we keep…
By Kim Butts The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks and answers many questions about the Christian faith. The first question asks: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer? “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” The second question in the Catechism is, “What rule hath God given to direct…
If we want to grow in our prayer life, sometimes all it takes is a simple technique or a memory jogger to bring us to more regular prayer. Nancy Lindgren of MORE Mentoring shares a simple technique that worked for her. You may want to try it as a way to stimulate you toward regular…
Sin hinders prayer. A person may pray and pray without receiving an answer, and then conclude that the problem is in God. In reality, the problem may be in the person’s heart. David understood that if he cherished sin in his heart, the Lord would not hear him. If I had cherished sin in my…
I knew my daughter was upset. She had been wounded by a friend and was trying to deal with the pain. Standing down the hall from her room, I couldn’t make out what she was saying. But I heard the emotional pitch—up and down—of her words. Anger and hurt were spewing forth. No one was…
My 9-year-old grandson, Jack, seems to have a heart for prayer. I have noticed that heart recently when he was eating at Grammy and Grampy’s and we asked him if he would pray our before-meal prayer. He gladly agreed and then took off praying. He thanked God for family, blessings he had experienced at school—like…
By Ebony S. Small I didn’t know I was an intercessor. But I knew I loved talking to God. After I recommitted my life as a disciple of Christ, I underwent a radical transformation. The world around me started to change because the “inner me” was changing. Jesus became the source of my strength. He…
