Life's Inanities and Ironies

 This post brings us to the end of our in-depth dig into The Lord's Prayer and it's many lessons.  I hope this has been as educational, encouraging and enlightening for you as it has been for me in it's creation.  If you would like to see more series of study along these lines let me know in the comments below  Hey folks, let's chat about something that's been on my heart lately. Life is full of crazy ups and downs, prayer can sometimes feel like just another item on our to-do list—a quick plea for help when things get tough. But have you ever stopped to think that real prayer, the kind Jesus taught us, is actually all about rejoicing? Yeah, you heard that right. Let's dive into Matthew 6:13 from the Lord's Prayer: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." It's not just asking God to keep us out of trouble; it's exploding with praise for who He is....

  You know, when everyone's chasing self-sufficiency—like, " I've got this all on my own "—it's refreshing to step back and remember what our faith really teaches us. As fundamentalist Christians who stick to the literal Word of God, we find our anchor in Scripture. Today, let's chat about Matthew 6:13 from the good old King James Version : "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." This isn't just some verse to skim over; it's right in the middle of the Lord's Prayer , and it hits home about what prayer is truly all about—relying on God. What Does Prayer Really Mean to You? Think about it: Prayer isn't a to-do list for God or some way to twist His arm. Nah, it's us admitting, "Hey Lord, I can't do this without You." Jesus gave this prayer as a guide for His disciples, showing how to talk to the Father with real trust. In this...

Life can be filled with grudges, hurts, and unending strife, the simple act of prayer offers a profound path to liberation. Drawing from the timeless wisdom of Scripture, today's post explores how prayer isn't merely a ritual of requests—it's an act of releasing. We'll center our discussion on Matthew 6:12 from the Lord's Prayer : "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." As fundamentalist Christians, we cling to the literal truth of God's Word, knowing it as the inspired, inerrant guide for our lives ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ). Join me as we unpack this verse and related passages, discovering how releasing through prayer transforms our hearts and relationships. Understanding "Debts" in Prayer At the heart of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount lies this pivotal line. The Greek word for "debts" (*opheilemata*) speaks to our moral obligations— the sins we've committed against a holy God. As Romans ...

 Hey there, fellow seekers of truth! Ever feel like your prayers are just floating into the void, or maybe you're holding back from asking God for what you really need? In a culture obsessed with "hustle" and self-sufficiency, it's easy to forget that prayer is meant to be bold and direct. Inspired by a powerful homily, let's unpack Matthew 6:11 —" Give us this day our daily bread "—and discover how Scripture urges us to make our requests known to God. Buckle up; this could transform your prayer life! Why Prayer Starts with Bold Asking Picture this: Jesus, in the middle of His epic Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 6:9-13 ), gives us the Lord's Prayer not as a rote ritual, but as a blueprint for real talk with God. He kicks off with worship ("Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name") and surrender ("Your kingdom come, your will be done"). Then bam—He dives into requests: "Give us this day our daily bread." This echoes ...

This realm that constantly pushes us to seize control, to manifest our desires, and to demand outcomes on our terms, the true essence of prayer often gets lost amid the noise. As followers of Christ who hold firmly to the inerrant Word of God, we must return to the biblical foundation of prayer—not as a means of manipulation, but as an act of profound resignation to God's sovereign will. Drawing from the heart of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:10 ( KJV )—"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"—this blog post explores how prayer calls us to surrender, yielding our plans to the perfect purposes of our Heavenly Father. Inspired by a recent homily delivered to our fundamentalist congregation, let's unpack this transformative truth, weaving in additional Scriptures to illuminate its depth. The Misconception of Prayer in Modern Times Too often, prayer is portrayed as a spiritual shopping list or a cosmic vending machine: insert your requests,...

 Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, warriors of the faith from Indiana and beyond—rise up! In a world drowning in chaos, compromise, and spiritual apathy, we as Christians must reclaim the battlefield of prayer. Today, I want to dive deep into a truth that has set my soul ablaze: *Prayer Is About Reigning*. This isn't some feel-good devotional; it's a call to arms, rooted in the unshakeable Word of God from Matthew 6:10 : "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Let's unpack this divine mandate, expand on its power, and ignite a revival in our hearts and homes.   The Foundation: Understanding the Lord's Prayer as a Battle Cry Picture this: Jesus, the King of Kings, standing on a mountainside, teaching His disciples not just to pray, but to wage war through prayer. In Matthew 6, part of the Sermon on the Mount , He exposes the empty rituals of the hypocrites—those who pray for show, babbling endless words without heart (verses 5...

 Hey there, fellow seekers of truth! In a fast-paced world where everything feels instant and casual—from our coffee orders to our social media scrolls—have you ever stopped to wonder if we're treating our time with God the same way? As fundamentalist Christians committed to the literal, inerrant Word of God , let's shake things up and rediscover the power of reverence in prayer. Drawing straight from Matthew 6:9 , where Jesus says, "This, then, is how you should pray: ' Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name ,'" this isn't just ancient advice—it's a game-changer for your spiritual walk. Buckle up as we dive in and make prayer exciting again! Why Start with Reverence? The Shocking Truth from Jesus' Own Words Picture this: Jesus, the Son of God, is preaching the Sermon on the Mount , dropping wisdom bombs on a crowd hungry for real faith. He slams hypocritical show-off prayers and empty chants ( Matthew 6:5-8 ), then hands us the ultimate pra...

 Dear fellow believers in the unchanging truth of Scripture, In a world gripped by chaos—moral decay, economic uncertainty, and the relentless assaults of the enemy—where do we turn for true rest? Not to the fleeting comforts of this age, but to the eternal Word of God. Today, I invite you to explore the profound depths of Matthew 6:9 , the opening of the Lord's Prayer , where Jesus teaches us: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name " (KJV). This isn't just a formula for prayer; it's an invitation to rest. Not the shallow rest peddled by self-help gurus or New Age philosophies , but a deep, soul-satisfying rest in the sovereignty of our Heavenly Father . As fundamentalists committed to the literal, inerrant Bible , let us unpack this truth and see how prayer becomes our anchor in stormy seas. The Foundation: Addressing God as Father At the heart of Jesus' model prayer is the intimate address: "Our Fa...

 We are going to be starting a series from Matthew on prayer today.  How you communicate with God is as important as how He communicates with you. I want to give you a little background on this series. It is one that I wrote nearly 45 years ago as an exercise in homiletics class . We were asked to take a portion of scripture and draw out of it as many sermons or homilies as we could without significantly repeating ourselves. This draws from Matthew 6 and "The Lord's Prayer" The object was to show that God's word has no limitations. I'm hoping that you will enjoy this exercise as much as I did then and as much as I did in bringing it up to date. In a world filled with performative spirituality —social media posts showcasing " prayer warriors " and public displays of piety —it's easy to lose sight of what true prayer really means. As followers of Christ, especially within fundamentalist Christian communities where we uphold the Bible as our ultimate a...

Hey there, fellow seeker of truth, Have you ever felt that deep, aching void in your soul—the kind that no amount of encouragement from loved ones can fill? I know I have. In those moments, I turn to the Bible, and stories like Hannah's in 1 Samuel 1:1-28 speak straight to my heart. As someone who's wrestled with unfulfilled dreams, this passage isn't just words on a page; it's a lifeline. Let's walk through it together, as if we're chatting over coffee, and see how Hannah's faith can ignite ours today. When Life Feels Unfair: Hannah's Heartache Picture this: Elkanah, a good man from the hills of Ephraim, has two wives. Peninnah is popping out kids left and right, but Hannah? Her womb is closed—by God Himself, the Scripture says (1 Samuel 1:5-6). Every year at the family pilgrimage to Shiloh for worship, Peninnah rubs it in, mocking Hannah until she's in tears. Ouch, right? Elkanah tries to console her with extra portions at the feast, whispering, ...

In times of national crisis —be it devastating hurricanes ravaging coastlines, economic turmoil shaking the foundations of society, or pandemics that bring a nation to its knees—we often feel lost, much like the Israelites after the death of their great leader Joshua . The book of Judges opens with a powerful scene: "After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, 'Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites ?' The Lord answered, ' Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands'" (Judges 1:1-2). This moment, rooted in Israel's conquest of the Promised Land , teaches us a timeless truth: when disaster strikes, our first response must be to inquire of the Lord. Imagine our nation facing a catastrophic event, such as the recent floods that have displaced thousands or a financial collapse echoing the warnings in Scripture about trusting in riches rather than God ( 1 Timothy 6:17 ). In such chaos, human efforts—governme...