“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
Nehemiah 1:11

I am in the process of looking for a plow truck (similar to the one pictured above, although a V-Plow would be nice 🙂 ) for Michiana Christian Service Camp.  Searching for a used vehicle can be quite nerve-wracking — particularly when it is for a ministry and you are even more acutely aware of the need to be a good steward of funds God has provided.  I want something durable, reliable, and with no hidden or unseen problems that will serve us well for years to come.  With that said, I realize even the best mechanic can’t see inside an engine, transmission, or other major component…

I was privileged to preach this morning at the Deer Run Church of Christ as part of the launching of the “A November To Remember” church-wide prayer initiative!  The challenge point of the message came from the conclusion of Paul’s teaching to the Ephesians about the complete armor of God.  Because of the spiritual battle that we are engaged in that fights for our very soul, Paul concludes the teaching of the necessity of the armor of God with this command, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV)

How are you doing in the “keep on praying for all the saints” department?  Do you take seriously this command to pray for one another?  How important is it to you and to those you should…

  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  Matthew 6:5-6 

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.  Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.”  Daniel 6:10-11

These two passages give words to two different responses that…