Action-Oriented Thinking
Read: 1 Peter 1:13-21 Therefore prepare your minds for action . . . (v. 13 NRSV) Something doesn’t seem right in verse 13: “Prepare your minds for action . . .”? Minds think, and bodies act, not the other way around. Isn’t that right? Apparently not for Peter! Lurking beneath Peter’s conviction is something he […]
Angel Longings
Read: 1 Peter 1:10-1 . . . things into which angels long to look! (v. 12) Peter’s conviction that there are “things into which angels long to look” intrigues me. Most of the time we either don’t think about angels at all, or we think about them wrongly, as chubby little figurines or as a […]
Praying for a Lifetime!
Read: 1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father . . . (v. 3) Did you know that the phrase Peter uses to begin his letter is not original to him? He is actually borrowing a phrase from the Sabbath liturgy of the Jewish synagogue. The main section of prayers in the liturgy of […]
Chosen and Destined but Still Exiles
Read: 1 Peter 1:1-2 To the exiles of the Dispersion. (v. 1 NRSV) Today’s passage contains a painful dilemma we all know far too well. I am sure you felt it as you read verse 1: “to the exiles . . . who have been chosen and destined . . .” Apparently belonging to the […]
The Prayer to End all Prayers
Read: Revelation 21:1-4, 22:20-21 Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20) There is no better way to end these devotions on prayer than to consider the prayer that the Bible ends with: “Come, Lord Jesus!” In our world today, it’s common to hear cries of all kinds: “End injustice!” “End human trafficking!” “End racism!” As Christians, we […]
Praying for the Advance of the Gospel
Read: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 Brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly. (v. 1 NIV) When I was a young pastor, I occasionally had the opportunity to serve as chaplain at Cran Hill Ranch in Michigan. I remember we would often gather around the campfire with the kids […]
Praying for Abounding Love
Read: Philippians 1:3-11 It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment. (v. 9) Back in 1965, pop singer Jackie DeShannon sang the song, “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” I was just a young lad at the time, but I remember the song well. It […]
Praying the Lord’s Prayer
Read: Matthew 6:9-15 This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven . . .” (v. 9 NIV) One of the best-known prayers in all the world is what we call The Lord’s Prayer. It is The Lord’s Prayer because it comes from Jesus, our Lord. But we could also call it The […]
Seeing through the Eyes of Prayer
Read: 2 Kings 6:8-17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” (v. 17) One of the things I have learned about prayer is that it brings me clarity in troubling situations. When I am worried about difficulties in my life or in the world, I bring them […]