Prayer Sparks

It would be easy to give Peter a hard time for doubting Jesus in this episode, especially with Christ’s comment on the smallness of Peter’s faith. He was walking on water; that act alone should have bolstered his faith!

Abraham had experienced lots of provision and many blessings from God throughout his life, and he allowed those blessings to cultivate a deep friendship with God.

How did Abraham cultivate resurrection faith? It was the past promises & provision of God that enabled Abraham to have faith for the future.

Just as this was a normal part of everyday life in a physical sense, so it spiritually is true in our lives as well. We must allow Jesus to continually wash our feet.

One effective strategy to keep our minds focused is called the “ACTS” Prayer model. Each letter represents a different part of the prayer

Adoration simply means to praise God; to adore Him for who He is.

Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, not so that we would hide them from God, but so that we could be cleansed from them.

We can spend our prayer time listing all the things we think we still need from God, yet Psalm 23:1 reminds us that, really, we already have all that we need.

As we’ve come to God in worship, confession, and thanksgiving, let us make our requests known to God.

The Lord’s Prayer is often recited mechanically & monotonously by Christians, yet Jesus intended this prayer to serve as a framework for how to commune with God.

One aspect of worship throughout the Psalms is the use of nature to describe the attributes of God.

Confession is a window to greater depth with God. Without confession, we face the reality of sin’s curse on our lives.

Maybe you, like a sheep, actually already have all that you need from your Good Shepherd.

Following the example of David and the scriptures, when we feel at a loss for words, simply looking at the beauty around us in nature reminds us of the majesty of God.

In prayer, we often feel the need to fill the silence. If we perceive that no one is talking, we may feel that nothing is happening and we’re wasting time.

Confession is a humbling & significant practice for growth in our walk with God, but is only half the equation; the other half is repentance.

Often our prayers are like what C.S. Lewis calls “wide and shallow puddles,” covering a vast list of topics that cross our minds, but rarely going beyond requesting God to “just do something” about them.

Unfortunately, this is what so many think Christianity is primarily about; an insurance policy for when we die, so that we’ll end up in the Good Place instead of the Bad One.

Imagine Jesus saying these words to you. What do you think to yourself?

There are times when we feel like calling it quits. We feel overwhelmed by the weight of our responsibility, our lack of ability, or our failures, and we’re tempted to go back to what’s familiar or easy.

This prayer gives us words to express God’s oneness, our deep love for Him, and how to teach God’s ways to our families.