Dear Father, we need your help this day. Our world is a mess. But you are holy and worthy of our praise. We ask that your kingdom will come with power to our family, our lives, our country and our world. There are many things that trouble us. There are threats of war, disease, and unrest. There are acts of terror in our own cities. We pray that your will be in charge where we are just as you are in heaven. We ask for your peace to rule our hearts, to still our minds, to ease our fears. Father, we ask you give us what need to live this day. We know that your eye is always on us. […]
Prayer
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Morning brought heavy hearts in America this Monday. At least 50 are dead and hundreds are wounded in Las Vegas and the numbers are still climbing. One man planned to destroy as many human lives as possible. As a country we are overwhelmed with grief, with anger, with sadness. And, once again the haunting question returns: Why? It will take days and weeks for the authorities to begin to give the immediate answers. But ultimately these reasons will not satisfy or heal the vulnerability of our hearts. Just knowing that individual’s motives and perversions does not bring wholeness and healing. It is important to find out the immediate whys. It is important to take better safety precautions. But these steps […]
Today I am reposting the letter my wife, Ruth, wrote to our church about her response to what was most important to her once she was diagnosed with brain cancer. My prayer continues to be that I would embrace these priorities as my own. I pray that for you as well. Here is the letter written April 25, 2010: “Twenty-five days ago, on the first day of April, God got my attention with a malignant brain tumor. It’s been quite a month, and now I’m on my way to surgery, tomorrow morning. You all have been wonderful to us, loving and helping us in many ways, and we are very, very grateful for our church family. But what I want […]
The world is a scary place. You don’t know when or where the next terrorist attack will happen. You cannot will your children to safety. You cannot wish cancer away. You cannot remove the drunk driver from the road. You cannot force world leaders to be wise and responsible. You cannot stop dangers on the playground or even in your backyard. You cannot stop the hurricane or earthquake. In short, you cannot eliminate the things that bring fear in this life. If this is true, how can you know peace? How can you teach your children to not be dominated by fear? Here is a prayer for trust written by Ruth Younts. Father in heaven, please help me to trust […]
Dear Father, please keep me from wanting my life to about me. My dreams are too small, my desires are too selfish, my actions are too sinful for me to focus on what I think is best. Father, you know I can be down and discouraged. You know my weaknesses. I pray you would give me the courage to see that my life is about Christ. I need to follow his life and love you as he did on earth. I pray my life would be about adding to your reputation. I pray my focus would be consumed with showing gratitude for the grace and mercy given to me. Father, I confess that my energy is too often spent on […]
Earlier today, Knowing the Truth Radio with Pastor Kevin Boling interviewed Paul Tautges about his new book, Pray About Everything. You can listen to the interview at Sermon Audio, or by using the audio player below: [hr] Pray About Everything is available for pre-order here at 30% off, but this sale won’t last much longer — the book will be arriving in our warehouse soon!
Father, grant me the courage to love you for who you are and not for whom I want you to be. Grant me the peace to honor you for what you do and not for what I want you to do. Grant me the power to live for what adds to your reputation and not to my own. Grant me the compassion to long for people to know you. Grant me the humility to speak well of you and not of myself. Grant me the discernment build your kingdom and not my own. Grant me the wisdom to say what praises you and not what makes me look good. Grant me the vision to live for Christ and not for […]
Do you want your children to see you as someone they can trust? Do you want your spouse to take comfort in just being with you? Are you easy to talk to? Is your family hesitant to talk to you when they are hurting? If someone in your family messes up or is in trouble are you the person that helps him feel secure and safe, the person that she knows will help make things right? You want to be able to answer yes to these questions. In fact, you sometimes get angry and hurt when those close to you don’t seek your help. Ironic, isn’t it? Here is a biblical quality that can help you become the go-to person […]
Somehow the idea of pleasant words combined with discipline or instruction seems a little strange. Most memories of being corrected don’t evoke happy or pleasant thoughts. Often correction means stern or harsh warnings, even when given with the best of intentions. However, in the Proverbs instruction is to be received as precious jewelry, something to be worn with honor. How does this happen? Proverbs 16:20-24 provides a guide for how to make your instruction valuable. Solomon stresses the obvious, but neglected value of instruction. Those who pay attention to instruction do well. Understanding is like a fountain of fresh water to those who are thirsty. Instruction flows from wise lips and is to be desired. This description of loving understanding […]
Most of us are not very good at asking for help. Asking in a way that humbly acknowledges your need, that shows respect and appreciation for God and others and does so in a way that is not selfish is a life skill that will benefit you and your children. In 2 Chronicles King Asa provides an excellent example of how to ask for help. Asa is faced with doing battle against an army that is significantly larger than the army of Judah. He needs help: Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, […]