A Miraculous Rescue: Three Lessons on Prayer
“We’ve all faced suffering alone. We all know how it feels when no one else is on our side or understands how we feel. As we see the early church praying together, we see a group of men and women actively caring for each other, hearing each other, and being near each other. In the face of persecution and the approaching death of a beloved friend and leader, they needed one another. They needed each other’s words and tears. They needed those who were strong to point those who were weak back to the goodness of God. Through prayer, this is exactly what they did.” A Miraculous Rescue: Three Lessons on Prayer by Ashley Anthony
Do Our Prayers Change God’s Mind?
“What good is praying to a God whose will is sovereign? Does prayer change God’s mind? Most answers on offer seem to result either in a diminishment of God’s sovereignty, or a gutting of the power and relational meaning of prayer. We need not rest satisfied with such answers. Indeed, we need not accept without critique the questions in the first place, for they reflect a few common and critical missteps in approaching the relation between God’s sovereignty and our prayer.” Do Our Prayers Change God’s Mind? by Daniel J. Brendsel
The High Priestly Prayer: How Jesus’ Words Help Us Pray
“We can only imagine how heavy our Savior’s heart must have been as he washed his beloved disciples’ feet, knowing within a few hours he would be dying on a cross for them . . . and for us. He knew they would desert him at his darkest hour, and yet, he chose to pray for them . . . and for us. That powerful prayer—called the High Priestly prayer of Jesus—is found in John 17. As believers, we can apply that same prayer to our own lives today.” - The High Priestly Prayer: How Jesus’ Words Help Us Pray by Judy Dunagan
Praying the Psalms: An Invitation to Intimacy
“The Psalms show us that it is right and good to bring all our authentic emotions to God in prayer. They invite us to come to him, raw and unfiltered, in every circumstance we face. The Psalms demonstrate how an honest, angry prayer can also be humble and God-oriented, or how the act of prayer itself can reshape our fear and worry into praise. Moreover, we remember that the Psalms were intended for corporate use, bidding us to bring our unmasked selves to church and to our Christian community. Our only mistake would be to refuse the Psalms’ invitation, bottling up our emotions or attempting to handle what we are facing in our own strength.” - Praying the Psalms: An Invitation to Intimacy, by Caroline Cobb
3 Reasons to Pray (Especially When You’re Exhausted)
“‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matt. 11:28). What a beautiful invitation! What a compassionate call crossing the centuries to intersect our busy, 21st century lives. Jesus doesn’t berate us into praying more. Rather, he invites us to experience the thing our souls truly crave more than sleep, more than another cup of coffee, more than a shopping spree. Our souls were made to find rest in Jesus, and he alone offers true rest in his presence.” - 3 Reasons to Pray (Especially When You’re Exhausted) by Asheritah Ciuciu
How to Pray for Older Saints
“God loves the generations—they’re part of his good design! As you intercede for the older saints in your life, don’t forget to praise God for them and thank him for the ways they have encouraged you and sharpened you in your faith. “For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). Amen!” - How to Pray for Older Saints by Chelsea Stanley