Ministry

At the beginning of this year, the Holy Spirit began burdening my heart to pray for churches. In the past, I’ve had a concern to intercede for churches.

The Christian life begins with regeneration – with being born again. When we are born again, we are babes, infants in the Christian life. This is the beginning of a process of change and growth.

God has given believers many promises in His Word. Believers are to accept, believe, and personally claim these promises. I see God’s promises highlighted in Bibles, in paintings, in crocheted pieces on walls, and on the desks of believers.

God has given believers many promises in His Word. Believers are to accept, believe, and personally claim these promises. I see God’s promises highlighted in Bibles, in paintings, in crocheted pieces on walls, and on the desks of believers.

From politicians to pop stars to the average person, people long for peace. Peace is an elusive commodity in this world. The hate and conflict around us overwhelm us. We live in a world full of war and uprisings, rebellion and conflict. How can there be true peace in this fallen world?

Jesus Christ has come to remake us. He desires to renew people from the inside out. This begins when we first come to Christ. When we turn to Jesus in faith, He begins by working in the deepest recesses of our lives by His Word and Spirit.

In the beatitudes, Jesus challenges the attitudes of the society that we live in. He especially does this in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

Radical. Shocking. Challenging. These words describe the teachings of Jesus. His words defy the conventional thinking of the world.

Many people ask me where I get my ideas and prayers for The Prayer Closet newsletter. They are born out of my study of Scripture and personal experience. Many times, it comes out of my own difficult personal experiences. That’s particularly true of this newsletter.

When you read through the beatitudes, it doesn’t take long to realize that Christ’s teachings are the opposite of what the world admires and encourages.