The Power of Prayer

If we’re praying on a regular basis, we are as ready as we can be for anything that can come our way in life. My friend, Steve, reminded me of this fact with the following lesson based on the One Year Bible.

Mark 9:28-29 reads, “… When Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” Jesus replied. “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”

The odd thing is, Jesus didn’t pray before casting out this demon. So what did he mean saying, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer”? I believe he meant, “cast out by a man who has prepared himself for the day of testing through daily times devoted to prayer.” Jesus was such a man. Are we?

Mark 1:35: “Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Mark 6:36: “After leaving them, he (Jesus) went up on a mountainside to pray.”

If we’re praying daily, we’re ready to kick some demonic butt. If we’re not praying daily, we’re not ready. It’s that simple.

Strength in Jesus

The need for Biblical-style bold faith is a daily requirement. I suppose that it has never been easy to live by faith as each generation and nation has its own struggles and difficulties. I am writing to motivate all of us to hang on tightly to Jesus as we walk through our current valley. Our faith is stronger than the battle that we face daily.

Psalm 46

Transformation

The dock, boat and body of water pictured here could be located just about anywhere in the world. But they are not. A transformation of this scene took place when Jesus walked across this body of water, the Sea of Galilee.

As we look at the photo or even as one stands on the dock, there are no apparent signs of greatness. The Sea of Galilee feels no personal pride for being the spot in the universe where our Creator defied nature's laws by walking on water. Yet one cannot look upon this scene without feeling a sense of awe.

The Almighty does the same with all of us who will make ourselves available. He makes the ordinary extraordinary through His presence. God-sized work is in store for us if we will simply be available.

Why not ask God to make your life extraordinary? It could be by praying this simple prayer: “Jesus, I am available. What would you like to do with my life today?”

On Marriage

A successful marriage may be one of the most difficult disciplines in life, yet one of the most fulfilling. Take a moment to pray for your marriage and then for someone else's marriage that you know could use some encouragement. We can choose to love at a higher level than we do currently. The long-term results will be worth all of our efforts.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The Biggest Race of All Time

No, it’s not the 50^th running of the Daytona 500 or the Indianapolis 500, nor the 24 hours of Leman in France. It is the race towards eternity. The apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!” Finishing strong in the Lord should be the goal that we all share.

What does it mean to finish strong? Allow me to share a few of my thoughts on this subject:

-Faithful to Jesus.

-Faithful in prayer.

-Faithful in service.

-Faithful in missions.

-Faithful to spouse and children.

-Faithful to the Word of God.

-Faithful to die on our knees or in the middle of the battle.