Category: Prayer

Never underestimate the power released when these two meet…

Where do you look to for strength as you journey through this life?

If like me you’re learning the art of practicing powerful prayer, what is it that gives your prayers power and effectiveness (James 5:16)?

In Praying God’s Word, we looked at lies we believe about prayer and how to pray the promises of God…

Never underestimate the power released when these two meet… prayer and God’s Word are truly a match made in Heaven!

Never underestimate the power released when these two meet… Prayer and God’s Word are truly a match made in Heaven!

Photo: Pexels.com

What lies have you believed about prayer? What principles and practices of prayer have been most helpful in your life?

A fresh outpouring

It’s Pentecost Sunday, and now more than ever, we need a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit to bring peace to our cities, comfort to our hearts, and healing to our land.

Together, let’s pray…

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14
I shared this message on getting to know the wonderful Person of the Holy Spirit on Feb. 23, 2020.

Now more than ever, we need a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit to bring peace to our cities, comfort to our hearts, and healing to our land.

I pray you will encounter His love, peace, and power today as you hear these words…

dove nestled on palm branches
Photo by M Sidharda on Pexels.com

Healing & Wholeness in the Scriptures

Isaiah 53, especially verses 4-6, is the foundation of my understanding of healing. 

Isaiah prophetically describes the torture and crucifixion Jesus would go through for our forgiveness and healing.  This passage speaks about emotional restoration (v. 4, for our griefs and sorrows), spiritual restoration (v. 5, for our transgressions and iniquities), and physical restoration (v. 5, for our healing); ultimately, His purpose in all this restoration is to draw lost sheep back to Himself (v. 6).

Some claim that Isaiah 53 is only speaking about spiritual healing.  However, in Matthew 8:14-17, Jesus physically heals Peter’s mother-in-law, who was sick in bed with a fever.  He also casts out demons and heals all those who are ill.  Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, states these physical healings and deliverances were to fulfill what was prophesied in Isaiah 53 (Matt. 8:17).

In 1 Peter 2:21-25, Peter summarizes the teachings of Isaiah 53 for New Testament believers. 1 Peter 2:22 seems to reference Isaiah 53:9, and 1 Peter 2:25 parallels Isaiah 53:6.  Peter, under the Spirit’s inspiration, explains that Jesus’ work on the cross heals us from sin and all its effects in our lives (1 Pet. 2:24).  When we return to the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls there is true wholeness available for every area of life (physical, emotional, and spiritual).

The “I AM” statements of the LORD reveal to us aspects of His nature and His character, who He is and what we can trust Him to do.  In Exodus 15:26, He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”  This promise was given to the nation of Israel.  However, we learn the principle that the LORD is Healer for His people.  He says that part of His nature and character is to heal from physical disease.  As believers in Jesus, we see from His ministry and the teachings of the New Testament that our Messiah, who is God in the flesh, is still “the LORD who heals” us.

We know from Isaiah 53 that healing is available to all and from Exodus 15 that it’s part of the LORD’s character to heal us.  But do we know that He wants to heal everyone always?

1 Timothy 2:3-4 and 2 Peter 3:9 explain that God wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, not wanting any to perish but to come to repentance.  But what is salvation?  According to Isaiah 53, the salvation that Jesus paid for on the cross is needed because of our turning away from the LORD, our breaking of His Law, our sin.  Salvation is from sin and all its effects in this broken world.   Salvation is restoration to wholeness: spiritual, emotional, and physical.

And yet, many of us can point to an experience of on-going brokenness in our lives or to a seemingly unanswered prayer.  This may be part of the tension we feel in this world between the “already” and the “not yet” aspects of Christ’s kingdom, which is here and coming (Matthew 12:28, Luke 17:21, John 18:36).

In Romans 8:18-25, the Holy Spirit says through Paul that all creation groans to be set free from the effects of sin on this world (v. 22).  One day, Jesus will restore all creation when He sets up His Kingdom on earth with His throne in Jerusalem (Isaiah 25:6-8; Revelation 21:1-5).  Until that day, followers of Jesus are commanded to preach His good news and teach others to obey everything that He taught (Matthew 28:19-20).

He also commanded a group of seventy believers, sent out two by two in Luke 10, to heal the sick and cast out demons in His Name (vv. 1-12, 19-20).  These commands were given to not just the twelve first apostles but to the seventy who represented all the followers of Jesus.  According to Romans 8:19, the whole creation waits for the children of God to be revealed, to rise up, and to share the good news of Jesus and minister restoration (spiritual, emotional, and physical), which has been made available by our crucified and risen Savior to all who will believe. 

Let’s live and pray boldly according to His promises and leave the results in the hands of our mighty and gracious God.

I will…

In recent years, we’ve been on a journey, discovering more and more of what it looks like to follow our Lord Jesus in loving obedience.

James is a great book on this topic filled with Jewish-style wisdom from a Jesus-loving Jewish leader, James the brother of the Messiah.  His focus isn’t primarily doctrine or logic but the practical outworking of our faith, how faith works out in everyday life.

According to Dr. Gordon Fee, James is “…the New Testament counterpart of the Jewish Wisdom tradition, now in light of the teachings of Jesus.”

My heart’s desire is to grow as a disciple of Jesus, following in His footsteps (1 John 2:6).  As I spend time in His Word, I’m developing the habits of:

  1. identifying a specific way “I will…” put into practice in my life what I’m learning. 
  2. sharing with someone else who might benefit or be encouraged by something I’m learning.

I recently shared a message on some of these themes from James 1:19-27 at our dear friend’s church in Rochester, NY.  I pray hearing it will stir in you a similar desire to walk out your faith.

As you listen…

~What’s your “I will…” (your next step of obedience)?

~Who do you feel prompted to share with?

Sent: Living on Mission

I recently heard a talk about a dangerous enemy that seeks to demoralize and disarm any who have the heart to make a difference.

Miller calls this enemy, “narrative void.”  It looks like attempting to live without a story that’s larger than ourselves.

I find myself more susceptible to discouragement and drift when I fail to keep my eyes fixed on our mission.  Living for kingdom purposes has eternal ramifications and allows us to leave a legacy that will outlive us.

I recently had the opportunity to share a message on living each day on mission.

May our lives be forever changed as we discover and apply the missional strategy of the greatest difference Maker who ever walked the earth…

Wounds from a Father: our journey toward healing & honor

I was grateful to share a Father’s Day message called: “Wounds from a Father: our journey toward healing & honor” at Bethany in La Crosse.

While I was prayerfully considering what message to share with a church family, experiencing some pain in transition, I connected with our FLD Church Leadership Catalyst Brian Thorstad.  Brian encouraged me to acknowledge the elephant in the room and to share a potentially challenging but healing message.

Heartfelt chats, tears, and prayer with dear ones between worship services confirmed the truth in Brian’s wise counsel.  Sweeping pain under the rug doesn’t help anybody involved.

But actively pursuing healing and choosing honor: well, that can be life changing…

Revival Prayer Principles

I had the opportunity to participate in Hope at the Crossroads, a prayer & community transformation summit hosted by the Sentinel Group in Kansas City, April 25-27, 2019.

My faith was stirred by biblical principles of transforming revival and stories from communities where the Holy Spirit is at work.  These testimonies and truths have become powerful fuel for prayer as we seek Christ’s heart for movements in our region!

“Extraordinary prayer starts with ordinary prayer. As you add extra little by little to the ordinary, it becomes extraordinary!” ~Jim Egli, New Generations

I was reminded of a message I shared on “Revival Principles from Nehemiah.”  May your faith be stirred and your prayer life grow from ordinary into the extraordinary!

Hearing God

livingtruth2's avatarLiving Truth

I’m so grateful that Jesus connected me with godly mentors early in my spiritual walk who encouraged me to love God’s Word and prioritize listening to the Holy Spirit’s voice. 

I learned then to practice 360 degree listening, which I still do over ten years later!  From the beginning to the end of the day, I listen to everything Jesus wants to say through the common themes of His Word, His whisper, conversations with others, and the circumstances of our lives that together create a complete circle wherein we can hear and be led by His Spirit.

We learn to recognize His voice by spending time in the Bible. We’ll only hear Him if we’re willing to quiet our hearts and listen. We test everything we hear according to His written Word. Here are a few questions I use for listening prayer. Spend a few minutes asking the LORD one…

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Your Mission… (if you choose to accept it)

I recently heard about a local church with financial problems that looked to their mission budget as an easy target for cuts.  

Sweet Bridget and I served for a time in Africa.  Having made such meaningful memories in South Africa, Malawi, and North Africa, part of our heart has been planted there (1 Th. 2:8).  It’s heartbreaking to think global mission could be viewed as a low priority.

Last month, we heard Larry Osborne of North Coast Church teach from his book Mission Creep.  Jesus gave us one mission (Matt. 28:16-20).  But Larry explained the process of drift.  When we consistently miss His target of multiplying disciples all over the world who obey Jesus, we tend to shift our aim toward whatever we think we’re good at.

Insert: _______________ …programming, music, food, ad nauseum.

Larry acknowledged North Coast won’t be around forever.  He soberly stated, once it’s reached its lifespan, like any human organization, it will cease to exist.  Its meeting space will likely be used for another purpose.  But the kingdom of God, which they sought to advance, will live on… eternally.  Toward kingdom unity, Larry charged church leaders to consider a local missional gift to a neighboring church in need, even one of another denomination.

Unless the Lord returns first, the day will come when every local fellowship–even the historic Park Street in Boston–will have run its course.

The question is:
Until that day, are we living to advance our own castles or His kingdom?

Jim Cymbala, who we were blessed to hear the final Sunday of our American Revival Heritage Tour, explains the identity of the people of God and our purpose when we gather: Jesus called us, “a house of prayer for all nations” (Mk. 11:17).

Prayer + Mission → Our Focus

Jim Cymbala & the Music Conference choir ~ Brooklyn Tabernacle, New York City (10-7-19)

I was in an elder meeting once where a slight mission budget cut was proposed, which would’ve eliminated support for some of our faithful missionaries.  I’ll always remember the words of a seasoned elder:
“What message do we send to our church and to our young people if we defund our mission?”

For local churches:

  • Consider your missionaries an extension of your staff.  
  • Partner based on shared mission and kingdom values.  

We developed these mission partner criteria questions to help guide our team.

  • Invest in your partners’ development and fruitfulness.  
  • Communicate well and regularly with one another.
  • Be faithful in prayer for one another.  

If we want to leave a legacy that outlives us, let’s live to advance kingdom purposes that are truly eternal.


Feature image credit:
NASA, “On October 7, 2018, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) shot this photograph while orbiting at an altitude of more than 250 miles over Australia” (Earth Enveloped in Airglow).

Sent: Living on Mission

I recently heard a talk about a dangerous enemy that seeks to demoralize and disarm any who have the heart to make a difference.

Miller calls this enemy, “narrative void.”  It looks like attempting to live without a story that’s larger than ourselves.

I find myself more susceptible to discouragement and drift when I fail to keep my eyes fixed on our mission.  Living for kingdom purposes has eternal ramifications and allows us to leave a legacy that will outlive us.

I recently had the opportunity to share a message on living each day on mission.

May our lives be forever changed as we discover and apply the missional strategy of the greatest difference Maker who ever walked the earth…