Recommended Posts v4

Prayers For Christ's increase And Our decrease - Bloom - 2/4/2016

Fifteen Prayers For God's Power - Piper - 2/1/2016

Group Prayer Participants You Don't Want To Be - Burchett - 1/22/2016

When Abortion Suddenly Stopped Making Sense - Mathewes-Green - 1/22/2016

A Prayer For God's Blessing On Our Corporate Worship - S Smith - 1/10/2016

Three Questions To Ask Before Listening To Any Sermon - Reinke - 1/9/2016

Advent 2015 - Day 23

"On this fourth week of Advent, we declare our awe of your matchless glory and measureless grace.  Continue to open the eyes of our hearts to behold even more of your incomparable beauty; expand the chambers of our hearts to make room even more of the wonders of your love. Free us to be generous and joyful as the Magi. Liberate us to love as you love us, to forgive as you have forgiven us, and to pursue others as you so faithfully seek us. So very Amen we pray, in your trustworthy and worship-worthy name. " (Scotty Smith)

Prior posts:

Day 22 | Day 21 | Day 20 | Day 19 | Day 18 | Day 17 | Day 16 | Day 15 | Day 14
Day 13 | Day 12 | Day 11 | Day 10 | Day 9 | Day 8 | Day 7 | Day 6 | Day 5 | Day 4 | Day 3 | Day 2 | Day 1

Recommended Posts - v3

A Prayer For The First Day Of 2016 - S Smith - 1/1/2016

Yesterday - Chambers - 12/31/2015

Reading The Whole Bible In 2016 - Taylor - 12/29/2015

Be Devoted To Prayer - Piper - 12/27/2015

A Christmas Poem: Come To The Manger - Kruger - 12/23/2015

A Prayer For Marveling At The Tenderness And Humility Of Jesus Incarnation - S Smith - 12/22/2015

We Lepers - An Unusual Christmas Meditation - Wax - 12/22/2015

Striving For A More Intentional Life Of Prayer - Raymond - 12/15/2015

I Am The Elder Brother - Guthrie - 12/11/2015

A Prayer Of Hope For Our Kids And Grand Kids - S Smith - 12/10/2015

A Prayer For Our Worship To Be Filled With The Presence Of God - S Smith - 11/15/2015

Calvin's Advice For Right Prayer - Qaoud - 10/12/2015

Advent 2015 - Day 10

"Jesus you are Wonderful Counselor—our righteousness, holiness and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30). In you are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). I look to you for knowledge of great mysteries, but also for wisdom about handling fresh disappointments, old hurts, and unfulfilled longings. You care so tenderly for your lambs" (Scotty Smith)

Prior posts:

Day 9 | Day 8 | Day 7 | Day 6 | Day 5 | Day 4 | Day 3 | Day 2 | Day 1

Advent 2015 - Day 5

Jesus, throughout Advent, I want to give you more worship than whining, and more gratitude than grumbling. Just knowing you, or rather, being known and loved by you, makes us incalculably rich. For “I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Who do I have in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but you are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:23-26) So very Amen I pray, in your near and joy-igniting name. (Scotty Smith)

Advent 2015 - Day 1

"As we begin the season of Advent this Sunday, grant us grace for seeking your kingdom first, and our fiefdom of self, last. Rather than spending more money and worry on ourselves, where would you have us invest our time and treasures, talent and tears? Free us to love and serve others with joy, with the same generous love and sacrificial care you lavish on us. So very Amen we pray, in your grace-full and glorious name." (Scotty Smith)

Recomended Posts v2

Three Ways Movies Are Searching For The Gospel - G Ortlund - 12/8/2015

O Come Again Emmanuel - Wax - 12/3/2015

Why Celebrate Advent? - Boswell - 11/29/2015

A Prayer For The First Sunday Of Advent - S Smith - 11/29/2015

Prepare Him Room - Bloom - 11/29/2015

Only One Black Friday - Tripp - 11/27/2015

A Prayer For Thanksgiving Day - S Smith - 11/26/2015

Alone With God - Chan - 11/24/2015

A Prayer For Marinating In The "In All Things Goodness Of Jesus - S Smith - 11/21/2015

It Is Finished - Chambers - 11/21/2015

We All Need Help - Piper - 11/19/2015

Four Reasons Why Some Preachers Get Better And Others Dont - York - 11/18/2015

A Prayer Of Lament - S Smith - 11/14/2015

When You Don't Feel Like Praying

Transparency time. There many (too many) times when I don't feel like praying. And there I many more times my prayers are literally like water off a ducks back.But, God has used J.D. Greear's sermon I referenced in a previous post and now a blog post by Scotty Smith to remind me (again!) of how crucial and beautiful prayer is. Here is an excerpt from Smith's post

"It’s one of those days I’m glad the gospel is much more about your grasp of me than mygrip on you. It’s one of those days I’m grateful your delight in me is not contingent upon my delight in you.  It’s one of those days I’m very thankful for the prayer ministry of the Holy Spirit."

and

"And at this very moment your Spirit is praying inside of me—perfectly tuned into my needs and in total harmony with your will. I cannot measure the peace that brings. I surrender right now, Father. I gladly groan to your glory. I collapse on Jesus in this very moment. I will not waste any energy today in the paralysis of analysis, vain regrets, pretending or posing. I know you are at work for my good in all things, including in my unrest and uncertainty."

Read the whole thing here.

To God Alone be the Glory

Preaching the Gospel to Ourselves

The link below by Scotty Smith is a great reminder that the gospel is not just something that gets us into heaven. Rather it is everything. It is our means of salvation, but it is also our means of growth and what drives us and enables us to worship.  Here is an excerpt:

"There was a time when I thought the gospel was only for nonbelievers—simply the doorway for beginning a relationship with you. I now realize we believers need the gospel just as much as nonbelievers. From beginning to end, our redemption is entirely dependent upon the grace, truth, and power of the gospel. Indeed, there’s nothing more than the gospel, there is just more of the gospel.

Thank you for rescuing us from the notion that salvation is primarily death preparation. It’s about coming to life and it concerns the whole of life. It’s about becoming like you, Jesus—one Day being as beautiful and loving as you. It’s about deliverance from our little stories of personal peace and affluence, that we might serve in your big story of pan-national and cosmic redemption. What a privilege and honor!"

Read it all here.

To God Alone be the Glory