By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, in an otherwise mundane list of genealogy, we get these powerful two verses about an otherwise unknown man named Jabez. This mention is truly a great “pause” over a man named Jabez. The brief mention is about this one thing of prayer—specifically a prayer for himself. Are you afraid to pray for yourself? Are you afraid to ask God to bless your life? If your response is “yes,” maybe you have said more about your beliefs about God than you intended. Why wouldn’t God want to bless you? Don’t you want to bless your children? In the same way, God wants to bless you—His child! The prayer of Jabez gives us a Biblical prayer that we might pray for ourselves. In the prayer of Jabez we can identify four specific requests that can become our model for praying for ourselves. Before we consider these four requests let’s consider what we know about Jabez, the person. The Bible does not tell us much about Jabez, but we do learn a few things about his life. We know that Jabez was named for the pain that he brought in childbirth. We know that Jabez stood out among his brothers. We know that God granted his request. In addition to all of these things, the most … [Read more...]
No turning back: A call to true discipleship
In a nation reeling from senseless violence, where fear casts a long shadow, the words of a pastor and the president of Family Research Council, resonate with piercing clarity: “It is the word of God with which we find direction and hope in times of uncertainty.” … [Read more...]
Remembering 9/11 and the power of prayer in times of crisis
After the twin towers fell 24 years ago, President George W. Bush stood on a pile of rubble at Ground Zero with a megaphone in hand and told a crowd of weary rescue workers “America today is on bended knee in prayer.” The country had suffered the worst terrorist attack on American soil, claiming nearly 3,000 lives, and was shaken to its core — but it also was shaken to prayer. … [Read more...]
My Katrina word
On Tuesday, August 29, 2005 in the wee hours of the morning a monster storm by the name of Hurricane Katrina moved ashore, devastating the Gulf Coast of the United States from New Orleans to Mobile, AL. The scale of the damage is impossible to describe. … [Read more...]
Where is God?
Have you ever gone through a hard time and wondered where God was? I can tell you where He was: He was right there with you. Not only that, but He will be with you tomorrow and the day after. And He will be with you on the day you leave this earth for Heaven. … [Read more...]
The race of faith: a marathon, not a sprint
When I ran cross country, our training involved running Monday through Friday and, occasionally, optional Saturday runs. We did “easy” days, long-distance days, sprint days (the worst), and more, all to make sure that we were in the best shape possible for our 5k race — a little over three miles — which occurred seven to eight times throughout the season. … [Read more...]
Spiritual preps for the new school year
By Mark Robinson ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) - The new semester is exciting for everyone — but especially for the campus minister, who is on the front lines of shaping disciples for Christ. In the coming weeks, campus ministers can better focus as they think and plan out the new school year: • Tackle administrative tasks early. Handle office work, phone calls and emails early in the day — before the “tyrant” called "Urgent" takes over the schedule; • Prioritize prayer; • Pray early and often; • Encourage a staff member or student to stop and pray with them throughout the day; • Keep prayers focused to help build a culture of prayer; • Foster a culture of evangelism; • Make transformation stories part of daily conversations; • Celebrate and share how God is working in students’ lives; • Keep the main thing the main thing. Preparing tacos for 300 is important — but spiritual growth is their true purpose; • Love family well. As they serve intensely, be intentional about loving their family even more intensely; • Record God’s faithfulness. Make notes of special acts of God to reflect on later when life slows down; • Stay rooted in the Word; • Don’t neglect your personal time in Scripture; and • Enjoy the energy of … [Read more...]
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