Tag Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Easter Brings Hope

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Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” —John 11:25

Easter is not about brightly colored eggs, wearing pastels, or enjoying a big meal, although it could include these. Easter is about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For some, Easter will be a great day, spent surrounded by family and friends. But for others, it will be a sad day, because Easter is a reminder of a loved one who has died and is now desperately missed.

Death seems so cruel, so harsh, and so final. That is what the disciples were feeling when they saw their Lord, whom they had left everything to follow, hanging on the cross. They were devastated. Death had crushed them. But if they would have gone back in their memories, they would have recalled an important event and statement Jesus had made.

They would have remembered Jesus standing at the tomb of his close friend Lazarus. They would have remembered that Jesus did something completely unexpected: He wept (see John 11:35). Jesus wept, because He knew that death was not part of God’s original plan. Humanity was not meant to grow old, to suffer with disease, or to die. But because of the sin of Adam and Eve, sin entered the human race, and death followed with it. And death spread to all of us. Jesus wept, because it broke His heart.

But standing there at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus also delivered these hope-filled words: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Death is not the end. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves it.

If you have put your faith in Christ, then Easter means that you will live forever in the presence of God. Easter brings hope to the person who has been devastated by death.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Words Matter

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“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.'”—Matthew 5:37

During the days of the early church, thousands lost their lives because they would not say two words: Kaiser Kurios, which means “Caesar is Lord.” That’s because they understood that words matter.

You may remember the story of Rachel Scott. She was one of the 13 people who were killed at Columbine High School. Rachel, 17, was a strong Christian and very involved in her youth group.

On April 20, 1999, armed students began shooting people on Rachel’s high school campus. They came to Rachel and shot her twice in the legs and once in the torso. Then they left, only to return moments later. Lifting her by the head, they asked, “Do you believe in God?” Rachel understood that the words she chose would have serious consequences.

These godless men would take her life if she said yes, and perhaps even if she said no. But without hesitation, Rachel said, “You know I do!”

“Then go be with him,” responded one of the boys before shooting her in the head. Rachel received a martyr’s crown that day, I am sure. What would you have said under such circumstances?

Rachel understood that words matter.

Jesus said, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’ (Matthew 5:37). In other words, the things you say should be free of duplicity or deceit, and no one should have any reason to doubt your words. Your words should be in alignment with your actions.

On our wedding day, before family and friends and before the pastor, we say “I do!” And when temptation calls, we dig in and firmly say “I won’t.” And when Jesus calls us to follow Him wholeheartedly, we say, “I will.”

Words matter. So use them wisely.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Stranglehold of Worry

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Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. —1 Peter 5:7

Some time ago I was playing with my grandkids, and they were pretending to choke me—and I was letting them. They were having a great time. A few days later, my granddaughter came over and said, “Grandpa, I want to choke you again.”

I thought, I don’t really know if I want to do that again.

Worry does the same thing to us. It chokes us. The word worry comes from an old English word that means “to strangle” or “to choke.” It cuts the air off. And it’s hard to breathe when you are getting choked.

Life is full of troubles, and there are all kinds of concerns we have every day about our health, our safety, our family, and our finances. Yet Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

The next time you start to panic, pray. Maybe it is in the middle of the night. (Isn’t that when panic often strikes?) When that happens to me, I say, “Lord, there isn’t anything I can do about it right now. This is Your problem. I’m giving it to You. I’m going back to sleep, and I’ll see You in the morning.”

There is no good in worry; it doesn’t help anything. In fact, worrying is a complete waste of time. The Bible says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7). So don’t worry. Pray. And as you pray, it will help you overcome your anxiety and worry. Commit your cares to the Lord.

 

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Pray about It

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You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.—James 4:2

Have you ever stopped and thought that maybe there are things in your life that haven’t happened because you have simply failed to ask God for them?

Maybe you are ill right now and have never actually prayed about it. Maybe you’ve never said something like, “You know, Lord, I have never asked You to heal me. Maybe I thought that if You wanted to heal me, You would just go ahead and do it. But I’m asking You to heal me.” It just may be that you do not have because you do not ask.

Maybe you have a financial need and have exhausted every resource to meet it. Has it dawned on you that you could actually pray about it? The Bible says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Perhaps you do not have because you do not ask.

Maybe your marriage is starting to unravel, and you don’t know what to do. You have tried everything. You have talked to everyone. But have you actually prayed about your marriage and asked God to intervene? It might be that you do not have because you do not ask.

We should pray because prayer is God’s appointed way for us to obtain things from Him. That is not the only purpose of prayer, but to fail to see this is to miss a lot. The Bible is very clear in pointing out that we “do not have because [we] do not ask” (James 4:2).

That doesn’t mean that God always will answer our prayers the way we pray them. But it does mean that many times He will. So when you have a need, the first thing you ought to do is to pray about it.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Best Reason to Pray

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Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. —Luke 18:1

Why should we pray? Here’s the short answer: because Jesus told us to. In Luke 18:1 we read, “Then [Jesus] spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

Of course, Jesus himself provided us with an example. Though He was God in human form, Jesus had a very deep prayer life. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). On the cross, Jesus started with a prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Prior to raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus first spoke to God the Father. Looking up to Heaven, He said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me” (John 11:42–43). Then He shouted, “Lazarus, come forth!”

Before Jesus fed the five thousand, we read that He looked up toward Heaven and asked God’s blessing on the food (see Matthew 14:19). And why did the mothers bring their little children to Jesus? So He would pray for them (see Matthew 19:13).

If Jesus felt the need to pray, then how much more should we feel the need to pray? He gave us an example to follow.

And here is another thing to consider. Even if prayer were extremely difficult, which it is not, even if prayer were very unpleasant to engage in, which it isn’t, and even if we never received answers, which isn’t the case, we still should pray. Why? Because we are commanded in the Scriptures to do so.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Moving Hearts

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Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.—Nehemiah 2:4

Did you know the Lord can move the heart of a king? Or a prime minister? Or a president? The Bible says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1).

The Bible tells the story of Nehemiah, who was cupbearer to the king of Persia. A cupbearer tasted all of the king’s food in case someone was trying to poison him. But in reality, Nehemiah was more than that. Being in such close proximity to the king, the cupbearer would end up being a counselor to the king. So the position of cupbearer became one of great influence. And someone in that situation wouldn’t have wanted to do anything to jeopardize it.

Nehemiah, however, was a Jew. He had heard about how the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, and his heart went out to his fellow Jews. He thought that perhaps God had put him where he was to do something good for his people. Yet to approach the king and incur his disfavor could cost him his life.

As Nehemiah pondered all this, it made him sad. The king noticed this one day and asked Nehemiah why he was depressed, so Nehemiah explained what was bothering him. Then the king said, “What do you request?”

I love what happened next: “So I [Nehemiah] prayed to the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 2:4). No doubt it was one of those prayers on the fly, the kind you pray when you’re suddenly summoned to the boss’s or principal’s office. Nehemiah prayed, and the Lord moved the king’s heart.

We need to pray for those who are in authority over us. Pray that God would help them make the right decisions and guide and lead their steps.

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples – Is Honor Overdue?

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“Humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 15:33

Mr. Smith learned that his neighbor, Mr. Jones, had presented flowers and a gift to Mrs. Jones five nights in a row. He thought, That must be what wins a woman’s heart. So Smith went out and bought a big box of candy and a bouquet of his wife’s favorite flowers. Arriving home a little early that afternoon, he rang the doorbell. When Mrs. Smith appeared, he passionately embraced her. Suddenly she sagged and fell in a heap on the floor. “My goodness! What’s wrong?” he exclaimed. When she regained consciousness, she explained. “Oh, this has been the worst day! Our son received a terrible report card; Mother was admitted to the hospital; the roast burned; the washing machine broke. Now to top it off, you come home drunk!”

If your partner can’t even fathom the possibility that you would bring her flowers or a gift (or some similar surprise), take the hint. It’s time to work on honoring your mate!

Just between us…

  • Would you be shocked if I brought you flowers or some other gift?
  • What’s the best surprise I ever gave you?
  • What kind of thoughtful gesture would be enjoyable and honoring to you?
  • Do you prefer being surprised in front of friends or in private?

Lord, we confess that the hurly-burly pace of living often threatens to suffo- cate our relationship. Remind us to care for each other. Help us to encourage others who are struggling in their marriages. Amen.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – First Things First

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Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.—Daniel 6:10

What would you do if a law were passed that made it illegal to pray anywhere—even in your own home? Would you stop praying? Would you go undercover? At the very least, if you were praying at home, you probably would close the windows and pull the shades. And most likely you would never pray publicly.

The prophet Daniel found himself in that predicament. He had been raised to a position of great prominence in the kingdom, and the other rulers were angry about it. They didn’t like Daniel, and they were looking for skeletons in his closet. (This still happens a lot—especially around election time.)

But Daniel was squeaky clean. His enemies knew the only way they could nail him would be with something in his relationship with God. They knew that three times each day, Daniel would go to his house, open all his windows, get down on his knees, and pray to God. So Daniel’s enemies went to the king and tricked him into signing a decree that banned praying to anyone except the king. The king foolishly signed it, and so the trap was set for Daniel.

Daniel knew the law had been passed, but he went home, and with the windows open, he got down on his knees and prayed. And interestingly, Daniel 6:10 tells us that Daniel “gave thanks before his God.” That is really the number one thing we should do when we come to the Lord in prayer. Why? Because when we give thanks to God, we are acknowledging His glory and His greatness. And as we worship and honor Him, things start to come into perspective for us.

When see God for who He is, we will see our challenges, our problems, and our needs for what they are.

Greg Laurie

Cathe Laurie – an eternity of Sundays

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 “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.” —Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

As long as the world keeps spinning, I’m going to get dizzy . . . not a good thing because I’ve always had motion sickness. At times I feel I’m on the tea cup ride in Fantasyland with the Mad Hatter at the wheel. These days, I mark the passing weeks not only by the calendar, but by how quickly I go through my packages of contact lenses. Failing eyesight is just another marker of time.

Maybe you feel like I do. Constantly rushing, trying to do and be everything culture dictates—so busy checking my calendar and making plans that I miss the now moments, the only ones any of us really possess.

I’m watching the little olive tree grow big. The flowers need replanting in hope of an Easter yet to come. The scripture carved in stone on Christopher’s grave marker is etched with six winters and summers, the damp sea air and the sun. My grandkids, each a walking talking marker of passing days, cannot wait for me to catch up with them. My hair is turning gray . . . or at least my roots are.

I need a place where time is not an enemy, where getting old doesn’t equal falling apart. I need a place where there is stillness, rest. How I need the One who is changeless, timeless, and eternal to steady my nerves.

This has to be the greatest challenge in a world where the words “Hurried, Worried, Buried” could be the epitaph on countless tombstones. We need to value down-time to purposefully disconnect from the tyranny of things and connect with God.

One simple way we can is by guarding our Sundays. Imagine if we did. By the end of one year, we would have spent 52 days recharging our batteries, rebooting our priorities, centering our spiritual lives. That’s seven and a half weeks of vacationing, resting, and worshipping Jesus!

Maybe we should think of Sundays as practicing—dress rehearsing, for an eternity of Sundays we will spend Him.

In the quiet

In the stillness

I know that You are God

In the secret of Your presence

I know there I am restored

When You call I won’t refuse

Each new day again I’ll choose

There is no one else for me

None but Jesus

Crucified to set me free

Now I live to bring Him praise

In the chaos, in confusion

I know You’re sovereign still

In the moment of my weakness

You give me grace to do Your will

When You call I won’t delay

This my song through all my days

All my delight is in You Lord

All of my hope

All of my strength

All my delight is in You Lord

Forever more

—”None but Jesus,” Hillsong United

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Between Two Worlds

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“We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.” —1 Chronicles 29:15

I have noticed that many times, the previews for a film are better than the film itself. All of the best bits are in the preview. But people don’t go to the movie theater to see a preview; they go to see the movie.

In many ways, life on earth is like the preview, and the film is like eternity. The big event is the afterlife, because eternity is eternal, needless to say. It has been said that eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset, but eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.

Everyone will live eternally, Christians and non-Christians alike. So that is not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is where we will spend eternity. As a believer, I know that I will be with Christ in heaven. And I know that one day Jesus will come back to earth and establish His kingdom. I have put my faith and my hope in Christ. And this hope is not wishful thinking or blind optimism; it is a quiet confidence, a supernatural certainty.

Where do believers get this hope? We get it from Scripture. As the psalmist wrote, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:114).

From the moment we are born, we are on a quest, prewired to long for something more. The reason is because God has made us in His image. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

Deep in our hearts, we have a longing to be with God. And until that day, we are essentially living between two worlds.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Why Pray?

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Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. —Ephesians 6:18

To be a growing Christian, you must have a prayer life. And what is prayer? Simply put, it is communicating with and listening to God.

There isn’t one method or one posture for prayer that is more legitimate than another. The main thing is to pray. Writing to the believers in Ephesus, the apostle Paul said, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18).

You can pray publicly. You can pray privately. You can pray verbally. You can pray silently. You can pray while you’re kneeling, standing, sitting, lying down, or even while you’re driving (but keep your eyes open). You can lift your eyes to heaven and pray, or you can close your eyes and bow your head and pray. You can pray in any position at any time in any place.

As we look in the pages of the Bible, we see Daniel praying in a lion’s den, David praying in a field, and Peter praying while he walked on the water—and while he was in the water. Jonah prayed from the belly of a whale. So surely God will hear your prayer wherever you are. The main thing is that you are always praying.

The apostle Paul told the Thessalonian Christians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). That means we should pray in the morning. We should pray in the afternoon. We should pray in the evening. We should pray when we rise. We should pray before we go to bed at night. We are to constantly pray and bring our needs before God. There is no substitute for prayer.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Matter of Discipline

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Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. —2 Timothy 2:22

A sign of spiritual growth is a recognition that you need to grow spiritually. And I think the more you grow, the more you realize that you have a long way to go. The moment you feel as though you have somehow arrived—or have somehow reached a plateau where you don’t need to practice the Christian basics anymore—is the moment that you enter a spiritual danger zone.

Most of us know people who started out following the Lord but fell away. Why does that happen? Why do some go on to great things and serve the Lord while others crash and burn? I think the answer lies in the choices they make. You see, we make our choices. Then our choices make us. It comes down to discipline.

Discipline is not a popular word in our day and age. Everyone is always looking for the shortcut. We want to lose weight, but we don’t want to modify our eating, and we certainly don’t want to exercise. But in reality, we know that we will have to discipline ourselves to get in shape.

If you want to be successful at anything, it comes down to discipline. To be successful spiritually, it requires a combination of turning away from what would hurt you spiritually and embracing what would help you. It is cutting free from anything that would slow you down and taking hold of anything that would speed you up.

When a concert violinist was asked how she became so skilled, she replied, “It was planned neglect.” She planned to neglect anything that was not related to her goal.

I think we could all use a little planned neglect. That means making time for the things of God but neglecting other things that we know can harm us spiritually.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Happiness Without Sin

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But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”—Luke 11:28

It is hard for some people to believe, but you can have a happy life without sin. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28). There is happiness in hearing, believing, and keeping the Word of God.

To be honest, there is some happiness in sin. There is some fun in sin. I think sometimes that Christians are reluctant to admit that sin isn’t always miserable. In fact, the writer of Hebrews said that Moses “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (11:24–25, emphasis added).

But sin comes with a price—a hefty price. I’m sure it would be very pleasurable to jump out of an airplane and fly through the air without a parachute. I think it would be the ultimate rush. I think it would be better than any roller coaster or any amusement. But then you are going to hit the ground. So there is fun for a time, but inevitably there is a payday.

There will be pleasure in sin for a season—temporarily. But then the repercussions kick in. The Bible warns that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). For a moment of pleasure, you can have a lifetime of regret. But if you keep the Word of God, you will be happy.

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation.” Sometimes you don’t feel that way when you’re tempted, because temptation is appealing of course. But when you choose to walk away from temptation, you’ll be glad that you did.

You can have a happy life without sin. And this comes from reading, studying, memorizing, and obeying the Word of God.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – What Makes a Person Wise

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The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.—Psalm 19:7

As we look at all of the so-called government solutions that are supposed to improve our way of life in America, we see that they really haven’t done so at all. That is because changing a person’s environment does not change a person’s heart.

The Bible doesn’t teach that man is basically good, yet he does bad things because of bad influences. Rather, it teaches that man is basically sinful, and he is born sinful. He is not a sinner because he sins; he sins because he is a sinner. Sin comes naturally to all of us. The Bible tells us that. And it also tells us that human beings are capable of very evil things.

Those who believe that we can bring about a utopia on Earth through manmade solutions must be very disappointed by now. Because in spite of all our advances in technology, we still can’t change the human heart.

Yet Psalm 19:7 tells us, “The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” The Word of God gives us incredible wisdom.

A number of years ago someone asked me, “Well, Greg, what do you do when you come to a verse in the Bible that you don’t agree with?”

I said, “Change your opinion, because you are wrong.”

I don’t think that individual liked my answer all that much. But as Romans 9:20 says, “Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ ”

The Word of God transforms us and makes us wise. And if you don’t agree with the Bible, then change your opinion—because the Bible is always right.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Are You a Birdbrain?

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“God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart. . .”

—Ecclesiastes 3:11

Have you ever used GPS? Many cars come equipped with it today, and you can get it on an iPhone or other mobile device. The problem is, sometimes GPS can lead you in the wrong direction!

I read about a motorist relying on GPS in Milwaukee who ended up on a snowmobile trail. Several miles down the frozen path, she stopped and couldn’t turn around. In about a foot and a half of snow, she had to call 9-1-1. The officer responding said, “People shouldn’t believe everything those things tell you.”

Take this sophisticated technology and compare it to birds. There are some amazing little birds God has created that have an internal homing instinct which is more sophisticated then the latest GPS technology.

Consider the Manx Shearwater. These amazing birds nest off of the coast of Wales. They are noted for their outstanding homing instinct. Scientists tagged and released a number of them at different points around the globe to see whether they could find their way back to the coast of Wales.

One bird was released in Boston, some 3,200 miles from home. In just over 12 days, that bird returned to his nest, having traveled 250 miles per day from a place it had never been before to reach its home again.

Then there is the Golden Plover. Native to Hawaii, the Plover migrates during the summer to the Aleutian Isles, 1,200 miles away. There they mate and lay their eggs, and their little fledglings are born. Then the Golden Plovers return to Hawaii, leaving their fledglings to grow up a little. What is amazing is that these little birds later make the 1,200-mile journey—to a place they have never been!

Try doing that with GPS!

That is an amazing homing instinct. So the next time someone calls you a “birdbrain,” you might take it as a compliment.

I think, in a sense, all of us have a homing instinct as humans. It is a homesickness for heaven. God has essentially wired us this way; the Bible says that God has “set eternity in our hearts” (see Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Just like those Manx Shearwaters and Golden Plovers, we have this built-in GPS. So follow that instinct!

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Perfect Book

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The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.—Psalm 19:7

Do you ever go back and look at your old yearbooks from high school and wonder, What was I thinking? The hairstyles are always entertaining. Remember when mullets were popular? What was the fascination with mullets?

Even as styles change and our culture changes, the Word of God never does. The Bible is never out of date.

The psalmist David declared, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). The phrase “the law of the Lord” is a Hebrew term used to define the Scriptures. It’s a word that speaks of the perfection of the Scriptures. The verse could be translated, “The Word of God is whole; it is complete” or “The Word of God is efficient.”

We are told in 2 Timothy 3:16–17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We know that God’s Word is sufficient. It is infallible. The original autographs, the first copies, were without error.

Not long ago I was watching a pastor being interviewed on a news show. He was being pressed on what the Bible says about some issues that aren’t popular in our culture today. The interviewer asked, “Don’t you think it’s time for us to drag the Bible kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century?”

I thought, Oh my. That is the whole problem: we’ve ignored the Bible. The Bible never goes out of date. The news goes out of date—quickly—but never the Word of God. The Word of God is an adequate book. It is a sufficient book. And it is a perfect book.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Praying As Jesus Prayed

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“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen'” (Matt. 6:9-15).

Jesus gave six elements that constitute true prayer.

Many people have memorized the Disciples’ Prayer so they can recite it often, but as beautiful as it is, it wasn’t given for that purpose. In fact, after Jesus gave it, no one in the New Testament recited it—not even Jesus Himself (cf. John 17)!

The disciples didn’t ask Jesus to teach them a prayer, but to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). There is a significant difference. Jesus preceded His prayer by saying, “Pray, then, in this way” (v. 9), which literally means, “Pray along these lines.” His prayer was a general pattern for all prayer, and although it wasn’t recited, its principles are evident in all New Testament prayers.

Christ’s model prayer teaches us to ask God for six things: (1) that His name be honored, (2) that He brings His kingdom to earth, (3) that He does His will, (4) that He provides our daily needs, (5) that He pardons our sins, and (6) that He protects us from temptation. Each one contributes to the ultimate goal of all prayer, which is to bring glory to God. The last three are the means by which the first three are achieved. As God provides our daily bread, pardons our sins, and protects us when we are tempted, He is exalted in His name, kingdom, and will.

If you understand and follow Christ’s pattern for prayer, you can be assured that you are praying as He instructed, and that whatever you ask in His name, He will do, “that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

Suggestions for Prayer; Do your prayers reflect the six elements outlined in the Disciples’ Prayer? If not, work on making them a regular part of your prayers.

For Further Study; Read Matthew 6:1-8, where Jesus discusses some of the practices of the Jewish religious leaders.

  • What practices and motives did He mention?
  • How did He feel about their spiritual leadership?

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – How’s Your Appetite?

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As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. —1 Peter 2:2

I love gadgets, but I don’t like to read user’s manuals. So when I buy some new gadget, I will start pushing buttons and always end up doing the very thing that I wasn’t supposed to do. It is always good to consult the user’s manual.

The same is true of our lives. The Bible gives us direction, and it also warns us about things we should avoid. Second Timothy 3:16–17 tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God’s Word is alive. It is full of living power, exposing us for what we really are. I like what Martin Luther said about the Bible: “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

One way that a physician can tell whether someone is healthy or sick is by their appetite or lack thereof. When a patient doesn’t have an appetite, it is usually an indication that something is wrong. In the same way, if you are a Christian and don’t have an appetite for God’s Word, that is an indication of a spiritual breakdown. It would say that you are not where you ought to be spiritually, because hungry children are healthy children.

Success or failure in the Christian life is dependent on how much of the Bible you get into your heart and mind on a daily basis and how obedient you are to it. If you neglect the study of the Scriptures, then your spiritual life ultimately will unravel. Why? Because everything you need to know about God is taught in the Bible.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – An Essential for Spiritual Growth

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“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”—Joshua 1:8

Billy Sunday was a professional baseball player when he accepted Christ in 1886. At the time, an older believer told Sunday that if he followed this advice, they would never write the word backslider after his name: Take fifteen minutes every day to let God talk to you. Take fifteen minutes every day to talk to God. And take fifteen minutes every day to tell others about the Savior. Sunday followed that advice and became one of the greatest evangelists in history, reaching thousands and thousands of people.

If you want to be a growing Christian, you must read, study, and love the Word of God. Why? Because one of the first things that a young Christian will face is doubt. When I became a believer, I didn’t feel anything emotionally, but I could see changes in my life. And right away I started doubting. I thought, Oh man. What if this isn’t true?

I went and told a Christian friend what was happening, and he said, “Oh, you are going through a trial.”

I said, “What? I’m on trial?”

“No,” he said. “You are going through a trial.”

He went on to explain that I was being tested by the Devil. And that was true.

When the Devil came to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, what did he say? He challenged the Word of God: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). He was saying, in effect, “Did God really say what you thought He said?”

If you know the Word of God, you can defend yourself against the Enemy’s attacks. It’s nice to carry a Bible in your purse, briefcase, or on your smartphone, but the best place to carry God’s Word is in your heart.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – All Your Need

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And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:19

Some preachers today have hijacked the words prosper and prosperity. They say that God wants everyone to be wealthy and healthy, and so you are to just speak it out, and God will give it to you. That is their focus. And that is wrong.

There is a place for prosperity—biblical prosperity. It may be monetary. God may bless you with a lot of work or a lot of resources. But we want to be careful with the resources that God gives to us. The Bible says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). But let’s not misunderstand this verse. Behind every promise there is a premise. Verse 19 is embedded within the context of Philippians 4.

Are you in need because you were foolish with what God gave you? Then don’t be so quick to invoke this promise. The assumption, contextually, is that you are living the way Paul speaks of in Philippians 4.

Also, this verse applies to more than just money. If your marriage is in trouble, God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. If you are single and looking for that right person, God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus If you need a physical touch from God, He will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And yes, if you have a financial need, He can supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

But let’s be wise stewards with what He has given us now. And let’s remember that happiness and contentment does not come from stuff; it comes from a relationship with God.