The Agony of Prayer Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.—Luke 22:44 Prayer is not difficult to understand. It is difficult to do. When was the last time your heart so grieved for those you were interceding forRead More …

Memorials of Faithfulness “I assure you: Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”—Mark 14:9 We may assume that our expressions of devotion to God are small and insignificant, but in God’s eyes they may holdRead More …

On Mission with God The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”—Acts 8:29 Missions is God finding those whose hearts are right with Him and placing them where they can make a difference for His kingdom. Some of the great missionaries in history did not live long lives, butRead More …

God’s Manner of Forgiveness “Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.”—2 Samuel 12:10 What is required for God to forgive sin? Repentance. But even repentance does not ensure the removal ofRead More …

A Noticeable Difference When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and knew that they had been with Jesus.—Acts 4:13 There is no mistaking a life transformed by God! The disciples had been vain and fearful whenRead More …

Obedience Step by Step After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Take your son,” He said, “your only [son] Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of theRead More …

Making Necessary Adjustments If my head were water, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people.—Jeremiah 9:1 Jeremiah was invited by God to be a weeping prophet. His call came during turbulent, agonizing times as his society suffered fromRead More …

The Cost to Others Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.—John 19:25 There is no Christianity without a cross, for you cannot be a disciple of Jesus without taking up your cross. Crosses are painful, they foreverRead More …

Speaking with Authority They were astonished at His teaching because, unlike the scribes, He was teaching them as one having authority.—Mark 1:22 Jesus was not the first person to teach the Scriptures to a group of disciples. The people in Jesus’ day had heard other teachers of the Scriptures. WhatRead More …

Faithful with the Impossible The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not sending you?”—Judges 6:14 In Gideon’s mind, victory over the Midianites was an impossibility, and he was absolutely right! The Midianites, along withRead More …