Download or read book Pray Like It Matters written by Steve Gaines and published by . This book was released on 2014-01-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When I read the book of Acts, I am embarrassed. Why does our brand of Christianity look so insipid compared to the believers of the first century? Where has the power gone? Has God changed, or have we? We've all heard the cop-out that says, "The book of Acts represents a different dispensation." What a sad, self-serving attempt to excuse our current state of spiritual impotence! When we read Acts, we should yearn to experience a return to their brand of Christianity. Yet, instead of copying them, we seem content with copying other modern churches that are "growing." But why copy a copy when you can copy the original (the book of Acts)? In Acts, God was saving people every day. Communities were transformed. People were healed. Demons were cast out. Miracles were commonplace. Churches sprouted up across the Roman Empire. Persecution was faced and overcome. What made them so different? Some say they preached a purer Gospel. I disagree. Modern Evangelicals preach the same Gospel that was proclaimed in the first century. We preach that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave. We preach that man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation. We preach that God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone, and the moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again. That's the Gospel they preached, and the Gospel we preach. Our lack of spiritual power in Christianity today is not due to the sermons we preach or the songs we sing. Rather, it is due to our lack of prayer. We do not pray like it matters. Jesus and His earliest followers prayed like it was important. We pray like it is inconvenient or inconsequential. Prayer was their priority. It is our postscript. We plan more than we pray. They prayed more than they planned. We gather to minister to one another. They gathered to minister to the Lord in prayer and fasting. Our focus is earthly, horizontal. Theirs was heavenly, vertical. They were wise enough to "pray the price." All of this is why I have written this 12-week Bible study entitled Pray Like It Matters. I want to demonstrate from Scripture that every prayer we pray is significant. Through our prayers, God changes things. One life dedicated to prayer can do more good than any life dedicated to other so-called "noble," worldly causes. An individual follower of Jesus who is committed to prayer is a fountain of life in a world of death. Likewise, the local church that becomes a house of prayer will be a spiritual powerhouse from which God's mighty miracles will flow exponentially. Prayer is what modern Christians and churches are missing--frequent, fervent, faithful prayer! Most Christians want to pray but don't know how. They are unable to carry on a simple, sustained, satisfying conversation with God. Thus, after a few minutes in prayer, they run out of things to say, get frustrated, and give up. Sound familiar? Just as infants must be taught to talk, Christians must be taught to pray. Once you know how, prayer will be fulfilling, refreshing, and even fun. A growing number of Christians today are aware that something must be wrong. They know there has to be "more" to the Christian life than what they have experienced. That "more" is found through the discipline of prayer. These lessons are a wakeup call for each individual, family, and church to become a "house of prayer." When we begin to pray like Jesus and His early followers, then we will witness the power they experienced. Today, we embark on what could be the greatest adventure of your life. Before we start, let's pray the prayer of the early disciples: "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).
Download or read book Pray Like This Bible Study Book written by Steve Gaines and published by Lifeway Church Resources. This book was released on 2017-10-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Know God more intimately and invigorate your prayer life by understanding and applying the Lord's Prayer.
Download or read book Dangerous Prayers written by Craig Groeschel and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2020-02-04 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Be inspired to pray boldly, pray powerfully, pray with passion, and trade ineffective prayers and lukewarm faith for raw, daring prayers that will transform your daily life. Do you ever wonder if God answers your prayers? Do you wish you could see the evidence that prayer changes lives? Do you long for more than playing it safe in your faith? Join New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel as he helps you discover the power of authentically communicating with God, breaking out of the restrictive spiritual safety bubble, and expanding your ideas about what's possible with God. The Bible tells us that prayer has the power to move God's heart, but some prayers move him more than others. He wants more for us than a tepid faith and half-hearted routines at the dinner table. God called you to a life of courage, not comfort. In Dangerous Prayers, Groeschel will show you how to pray the prayers that search your soul, break your habits, and send you out to pursue the calling God has for you. But be warned: If you're fine with settling for what's easy, or if you're okay with staying on the sidelines, this book isn't for you. You'll be challenged. You'll be tested. You'll be moved to take a long, hard look at your heart. But you'll be inspired, too. Dangerous Prayers will give you the encouragement and tools you need to: Transform the patterns around your daily prayer life Truly embrace and believe in the power of intentional prayer Start to pray daring, faith-filled, God-honoring, life-changing, world-transforming prayers You'll discover the secret to overcoming fears of loss, rejection, failure, and the unknown, and you'll welcome the blessings God has for you on the other side. But best of all, you'll gain the courage it takes to pray dangerous prayers.
Download or read book Where the Light Fell written by Philip Yancey and published by Convergent Books. This book was released on 2023-03-14 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this searing meditation on the bonds of family and the allure of extremist faith, one of today’s most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace—a revelatory memoir that “invites comparison to Hillbilly Elegy” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “Searing, heartrending . . . This stunning tale reminds us that the only way to keep living is to ask God for the impossible: love, forgiveness, and hope.”—Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason Raised by an impoverished widow who earned room and board as a Bible teacher in 1950s Atlanta, Philip Yancey and his brother, Marshall, found ways to venture out beyond the confines of their eight-foot-wide trailer. But when Yancey was in college, he uncovered a shocking secret about his father’s death—a secret that began to illuminate the motivations that drove his mother to extreme, often hostile religious convictions and a belief that her sons had been ordained for a divine cause. Searching for answers, Yancey dives into his family origins, taking us on an evocative journey from the backwoods of the Bible Belt to the bustling streets of Philadelphia; from trailer parks to church sanctuaries; from family oddballs to fire-and-brimstone preachers and childhood awakenings through nature, music, and literature. In time, the weight of religious and family pressure sent both sons on opposite paths—one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a “toxic faith,” the other into a self-destructive spiral. Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post–World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and Sixties-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear. “I truly believe this is the one book I was put on earth to write,” says Yancey. “So many of the strands from my childhood—racial hostility, political division, culture wars—have resurfaced in modern form. Looking back points me forward.”
Download or read book Morning Manna written by Steve Gaines and published by . This book was released on 2016-06-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These devotionals were written during the weariest, most difficult days of my life. As the song says, "Life is hard, but God is good." Some of these devotionals are synopses of sermons I have preached over the years. Others are simple thoughts I have entertained and enjoyed as I reviewed and meditated upon various Scripture Memory verses. There is at least one devotional based on a text from every book of the Bible. The reader will find almost as many entries written from Old Testament texts as from the New Testament. This book has been demanding, but it has also been a labor of love. A great missionary once said, "I'm just a beggar, telling other beggars where to find bread." That is exactly how I feel as I share this work with you. I am on the way to heaven and offering hope to others on the journey. May these devotionals bless your heart, feed your soul, and nourish your thoughts. Jesus has set a table for two. He invites you to dine with Him (Revelation 3:20). Pull away, weary pilgrim. Hunger no longer. His morning manna awaits you. "O taste and see the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). As they say at the Mexican restaurant, "Enjoy "
Download or read book Prayers for a Woman s Soul written by Julie Gillies and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Women have a prayer list a mile long: Husbands. Children. Friends. Church leaders. Neighborhood situations. The military. World events. The sick and the shut-in and the chronically struggling. With so much on their minds, it’s no wonder that women sometimes forget to pray for themselves, neglecting their own needs and spiritual growth. For every woman who specializes in “front-burner prayer,” praying for whatever is boiling over at the moment (and there’s always something boiling over!) comes Prayers for a Woman’s Soul. This inspiring book will teach wives, mothers, friends, sisters, and daughters how to cover themselves with prayer on a regular basis. Each devotion includes powerful spiritual insight, personalized Scripture, and a prayer to help begin the conversation with God. This soul-pampering journey will rejuvenate, refresh, and revive a woman’s soul!
Download or read book Lead Like It Matters written by Craig Groeschel and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2022-08-02 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Note: Lead Like It Matters is a completely revised and updated version of the book previously published as It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It.* Discover the secret to igniting a life-giving, soul-transforming, people-inspiring movement in your organization, church, or ministry--and the trick to keeping the momentum going. In Lead Like It Matters, New York Times bestselling author and pastor Craig Groeschel shares the transformative insights he's learned about how to effectively build a thriving, enduring ministry and organization. Using the leadership skills he's mastered as the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church--one of the largest churches in the world and an organization that Glassdoor has named a #1 U.S. Best Place to Work--he combines straight talk and wry honesty with biblical and leadership principles to equip you to: Recognize when your organization or ministry has the indefinable but tangible "it" that leads to success Identify and implement seven leadership principles for a church that lasts Ignite a fire in your team to leave behind "what we've always done" for the meaningful ministry you know is possible Discover the three areas every leader must master for success Praise for Lead Like It Matters: "My friend Craig Groeschel is the visionary and pioneer of America's largest church. In Lead Like It Matters, he's generous enough to share the most important lessons he's learned along the way. This isn't just an insightful and interesting book; it's a game-changing guide to leading with purpose." --Steven Furtick, lead pastor, Elevation Church; New York Times bestselling author, Crash the Chatterbox, Greater, (Un)Qualified
Download or read book Any Time Any Place Any Prayer written by Laura Wifler and published by Tales That Tell the Truth. This book was released on 2021-09 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teach kids how to pray with this beautifully illustrated Bible storybook.
Download or read book Pray Big written by Alistair Begg and published by The Good Book Company. This book was released on 2019-05-01 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspiration from the Apostle Paul on how to pray bold, exciting prayers. Inspiration from the Apostle Paul on how to pray bold, exciting prayers. So many of us struggle with prayer. Many books have been written on the subject and there’s a reason for that. Prayer comes hard to most of us, in most seasons. And when we do pray, we often don't know what to say. What is it that my Father loves to hear about? What are the best things I could pray for my family, my church, and myself? This short book by renowned Bible teacher Alistair Begg combines warmth, clarity, humour, and practicality as he examines Paul’s prayers for his friends in the church in Ephesus. Paul clearly enjoyed prayer, and was excited about it. He expected his Father in heaven to hear what he said, and to act in other people’s lives accordingly. The truths that underpin and shape his prayers will motivate us to pray and set us an example. So be inspired by the Apostle Paul to pray bigger and better prayers as we look to our heavenly Father to do more than all we ask or imagine!
Download or read book Fresh Wind Fresh Fire written by Jim Cymbala and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-09 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Times Are Urgent God Is on the Move Now Is the Moment to ... ask God to ignite his fire in your soul! Pastor Jim Cymbala believes that Jesus wants to renew his people-to call us back from spiritual dead ends, apathy, and lukewarm religion. Cymbala knows the difference firsthand. Thirty-five years ago his own church, the Brooklyn Tabernacle, was a struggling congregation of twenty. Then they began to pray ... God began to move ... street-hardened lives by the hundreds were changed by the love of Christ ... and today they are more than ten thousand strong. The story of what happened to this broken-down church in one of America's toughest neighborhoods points the way to new spiritual vitality in the church and in your own life. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire shows what the Holy Spirit can do when believers get serious about prayer and the gospel. As this compelling book reveals, God moves in life-changing ways when we set aside our own agendas, take him at his word, and listen for his voice.
Download or read book A Praying Life written by Paul E. Miller and published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. This book was released on 2017-04-03 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than 500,000 copies sold! Updated and expanded! Prayer is hard. Often, unless circumstances demand it—such as an illness or saying grace before a meal—most of us simply do not pray. This kind of prayerlessness can leave us with a distressed spirit and practical unbelief characterized by fear, anxiety, joylessness, and spiritual depression. A Praying Life is a prayer guide that has encouraged thousands of Christians to pursue a vibrant prayer life full of joy and power and has helped them learn how to pray faithfully and courageously. A life of prayer invites you to a life of connection to God. When Jesus describes the intimacy that He seeks with us, He talks about joining us for dinner (Revelation 3:20). This book reminds readers that prayer is simply making conversation with God a rhythm of daily Christian life. A Praying Life includes chapters about: How to deal with unanswered prayer How to start a prayer journal Does prayer make a difference? Now with added chapters addressing prayers of lament and further guidance for using prayer cards, Paul Miller invites you to foster prayer that regularly hopes, trusts, and expects God to act. Learn to develop helpful habits and approaches to prayer that will enable you to return to a childlike faith and witness spiritual growth today! “This book will be like having the breath of God at your back. Let it lift you to new hope.” —Dan B. Allender, PhD, author of Bold Love
Download or read book Lead Like It Matters to God written by Richard Stearns and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sharing the principles he has learned over a remarkable corporate and ministry career, Richard Stearns offers seventeen crucial values that transform leaders and their organizations. When leaders embody these ideals, they not only improve their witness for Christ, they shape institutions, influence culture, and create healthy workplaces where people can flourish.
Download or read book Opening Your Heart written by Lisa Brenninkmeyer and published by . This book was released on 2015-06 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This introductory course has been designed for women who are brand new to Walking with Purpose as well as those with more experience in Bible study. The themes we'll explore are the timeless, foundational, core questions that people return to century after century. Delving into these topics will help fill holes in our spiritual foundations so that we have something firm to stand on when life gets shaky. A DVD series, Priorities complements the course. Immensely practical and encouraging, Opening Your Heart is the perfect starting point as you seek to grow closer to God.
Download or read book The Hidden Life of Prayer written by David M. M'Intyre and published by . This book was released on 1906 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart written by J. D. Greear and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “If there were a Guinness Book of World Records entry for ‘amount of times having prayed the sinner’s prayer,’ I’m pretty sure I’d be a top contender,” says pastor and author J. D. Greear. He struggled for many years to gain an assurance of salvation and eventually learned he was not alone. “Lack of assurance” is epidemic among evangelical Christians. In Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, J. D. shows that faulty ways of present- ing the gospel are a leading source of the confusion. Our presentations may not be heretical, but they are sometimes misleading. The idea of “asking Jesus into your heart” or “giving your life to Jesus” often gives false assurance to those who are not saved—and keeps those who genuinely are saved from fully embracing that reality. Greear unpacks the doctrine of assurance, showing that salvation is a posture we take to the promise of God in Christ, a posture that begins at a certain point and is maintained for the rest of our lives. He also answers the tough questions about assurance: What exactly is faith? What is repentance? Why are there so many warnings that seem to imply we can lose our salvation? Such issues are handled with respect to the theological rigors they require, but Greear never loses his pastoral sensitivity or a communication technique that makes this message teachable to a wide audience from teens to adults.
Download or read book The Care of Souls written by Harold L. Senkbeil and published by Lexham Press. This book was released on 2019-06-26 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again. Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful adviceâ€"born out of his five decades as a pastorâ€"that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit. In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.
Download or read book Prayer and Listening written by Jan Johnson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do you practice real conversation with God? How can you make your experience of God 's presence part of everyday life? In this six-session LifeGuide® Bible Study, Jan Johnson covers the disciplines of prayer and of practicing God's presence. Going deeper in these areas will help you to draw closer to God in everything you do.
