If someone tested my HUMILITY early in my faith walk, they would have scored it “FAILED.” I wanted to be a humble person, but the only guide I had was to be “nice.” My grade today would be “work-in-progress.” How did God turn my life around when it comes to humility? PRAYER.    PRAYER helps us grow in humility before God and keeps us away from the HUMILITY KILLER—thinking we can be humble...

Early in my faith walk I wanted to be AMAZED by God. But I had no idea how that happened. I mistakenly thought it would be automatic and that being “a good Christian” would somehow unlock God’s amazing power.    I missed the missing ingredients to being AMAZED BY GOD: Connecting with him through his Word and PRAYING to the Lord of Heaven and earth.    Here’s a fresh example: Just...

Another great question from our global online tribe dropped into my email last night. A young woman asked me this: Mark, how can I PRAY IN FAITH when I am unsure if God is listening or ignoring my request?    The first part of my response to her was that “faith in prayer” has nothing to do with OUR feelings over whether the request is or is not in God’s will or whether he is listening or...

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...