I believe so much of the key to developing in the Lord is growing in our capacity to love and receive love from God. If we don't receive love then we don't give love and if we don't have love from the Lord how can we love ourselves much less others? Therefore our priority is growing in our...
This is a prayer that I definitely need and so I thought I would share what I have written for others with the same struggle. It is essential that we have contentment with life or we will never be satisfied no matter what we have.
Prayer for Contentment
Lord Jesus Christ you knew both how to...
There is a battle going on both within and without. Within the flesh rages against the spirit because the time of the former is short, therefore it wants to indulge in its carnal desires while it has the opportunity. Outside of our bodies the Devil and all of his minions are scheming and...
As Christians we should expect to have our seasons in the valley when it seems like all is shrouded in darkness. I believe that knowing is half the battle and if we can retain this awareness of the seasonality of such melancholy we can know that the dawn is just around the corner.
Prayer...
This prayer is inspired by John and Paul Sandford's (now deceased) writings on this subject. Their contention is that we invite certain treatment upon ourselves because of our expectations of how we will be treated. Now, I understand that this may be considered a controversial contention and I...
I think temptation is something that we all struggle with. I know I do anyways, so I thought that I would write this prayer for those who do struggle with temptation.
Prayer for Temptation
Lord Jesus Christ, for forty days you suffered temptations in the wilderness by the Devil and you emerged...
This post hits particularly close to home because this last week I had to confess to someone that I had not been completely forthright with them. It was not easy to do and I suppose I had covered it up almost as an automatic reaction and it really wasn't until later that I had realized that I...
I was inspired to write this after reading a poster on this forum asking for prayer in his signature (and so I changed my signature to do the same). As Christians we are not selfish in asking others to pray for us nor should we feel that we are imposing upon our brothers and sisters in Christ to...
I am currently going through my own struggles with endurance and patience. I often read that many Christians have just received a setback and they feel like giving up. I know what this is about and find myself often ridings highs and lows on the spiritual rollercoaster even within a given day...
It may be strange to consider this as a spiritual practice but every Christian serves as a watchman for the Lord. We are to expose the works of darkness in the world with the light of the truth of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:11). I do not know that this necessarily mandates that all Christians be...
It may sound odd to consider this a spiritual practices tip but there is much good that can be done when we acknowledge the good deeds of others (and much bad if we fail to do so).
This concept of the recognition of the good deeds of another is introduced in the story of Joseph. Joseph...
I really enjoyed listening to this sermon titled "A Child of God in Christ" by Reverend Lloyd-Jones in which he outlines St. John's "tests of life" to determine whether or not someone has been regenerated, that is, born again. He also provides other scriptural references outside of the Book of...
I have often read that others have found themselves at an aimless point in their lives where they say they do not know what God's will is for them. Thank the Lord the Apostle Paul has provided us a prayer to address that very thing. The prayer is from Colossians 1:9-12 and I have modified it...
While I do not think that birthdays are explicitly prohibited by the bible I do think that it's interesting to note that in the only two mentions of birthdays in the bible, a man was effectively sentenced to death on that same day. First, in the story of Joseph, we see that on Pharaoh's birthday...
This will also be short. Much of this letter warns against false brothers who bring false doctrines, they step outside their authority, "relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones." (Jude 8 English Standard Version). Even the archangel Michael...
Again, this will be short. In this letter John talks about the treatment of the brothers by Gaius and blesses him. (3 John 1:2) We should be hospitable to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and if possible (at least from my reading of what John is implying) not accept anything...
This will be short. In this epistle John asks the "elect lady and her children" (2 John 1:1 English Standard Version) to continue to abide in love and do the commandments. They should also not allow anyone in their homes nor give any greeting to false brothers or sisters who do not carry the...
This epistle from John provides a rich amount of advice, particularly concerning how to discern the Christian from the antichrist.
Notes on the First Book of John
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to...
Peter continues to exhort the Church to build it up in best practices.
Notes on the Second Book of Peter
"[M]ake every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness...
In this epistle Peter provides a lot of good advice for the Church as to how it can grow in Christ and maintain good relations within itself.
Notes on the First Book of Peter
"Though you have not seen [Christ], you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with...