This just in from our global online tribe: I love your ministry’s idea of loving God and fearing nothing. But it seems so big that I don’t know where to start. Where should I start?    This follower has it right—loving God and fearing nothing is a “BIG” mountain to climb. And since it’s also complicated and challenging, we need to start with the realization that this is a LIFE-LONG PROCESS...

Early in my faith walk I took responsibility for every battle MYSELF with a perfunctory and shallow PRAYER to God for “insurance.” I know, ridiculous. But it was the beginning of my new approach to prayer that focuses on Christ and what he promises.    Sorting through the personal, self-inflicted carnage that came from those days when I played boss drives home this immutable truth from God:...

My prayer life is constantly expanding and evolving. Early in my faith walk I was praying from my heart and CRYING OUT TO GOD in pain and praise. Crying out to God for strength to conquer my oppressive fear. Crying out to God for clarity and purpose in my life. And that is exactly what God wants us to do with and through our prayers to him. That was the FIRST PHASE of my prayer life.    Later...

My connection with Jesus skyrocketed when I began focusing my prayers on one verse in the Bible for a specified period—usually a week, often a few days, sometimes just 24 hours. It is a POWERFUL TOOL that generates this two-stroke benefit: 1) Jumpstarts and revitalizes your PRAYER LIFE; and 2) Produces spiritual growth and maturity.    I love the double-positive that comes with this spiritual...

“I’ll be Praying for You.”     I’ve said those words. You’ve no doubt spoken that line. And most Christians have probably uttered the phrase at least a few times.    And that’s good! Prayer is a sacred responsibility for every Christian. We should always be on the look-out for people to pray for and things to pray about. There is ALWAYS something to pray about–a person...

I had coffee at Starbucks recently with one of my dearest friends and his lovely wife to discuss life and the fact that we had all been taken advantage of recently by people we had trusted. It was very painful and a “spiritual challenge” to keep our anger from boiling over.    We prayed to God immediately for the strength to say no to ANGER and yes to LOVE. We prayed for the wisdom and...

Yes! The Creator of the Universe, the one who cradles our life in his strong and loving hands, is begging us to ask him for help and guidance. Forgiveness and grace. Hope and peace.    Why? Because he cares deeply about us and wants us to trust him for everything and then glorify his deity.    “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7    Prayer...

This just in from our global online tribe: Recently when a crisis hit my small group of Christian friends, I made this comment: “ALL WE CAN DO NOW IS PRAY.” The reaction from all of them was that I was minimizing prayer. Why did they say that?    Let me start with the ending and then work back. We need to change the headline…FROM: “All we can do now is pray” TO: “What we must do is...

I am challenging myself this month to pray more. To pray with more DEPENDENCY on God. To pray EXPECTANTLY for his answers. To pray MORE to grow my faith and transform my character in Christ. Will YOU join me in this emphasis on PRAYER and those goals?    What’s at stake? Whether or not we connect with, and download, the heart and mind of God so we can become more like Jesus.    WOW....

Despite what bumper stickers say, God is NOT a Christian’s Co-Pilot. He is (must be) our PILOT. We are not co-equal to God in any way. God is never second. He must ALWAYS be first.    If we say God is our Co-Pilot, we might as well say WE ARE IN CONTROL and that we’ll summon his help if things “really get out of hand.”    The only positive I can take out of the “God is my Co-Pilot”...