Prayer can be approached one of two ways. In the first, we bring our troubles and problems to God. We wheel our dumpster of issues up to his throne and unpack the problems one by one, laying them at his feet. I’ve done this so, so often. This is not to say there isn’t value […]
prayer
Avoid the Top 4 Prayer Ruts!
Over the past two decades, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my prayer life, and the Lord has taught me so much that can help you avoid getting in a rut. Doing prayer too formally. “Most Gracious Lord, I pray Thou hearken unto us…” Yes, of course, God is worthy of respect, but your […]
Pentecost? Why? 3 Reasons (pt. 3) – Healing
Over the last two posts, we talked about a couple different purposes of the Pentecostal outpouring: the sharing of the gospel and the unity of the diverse body of believers. Today, we reflect on a third purpose: the release of power for signs, wonders, and miracles. Acts 3:1-8One day Peter and John were going up […]
Pentecost? Why? 3 Reasons (pt. 2) – Unity
Let’s look at the miracles that happened as a result of the Acts 2 outpouring. Pentecost doesn’t only bring preaching; it brought incredible unity. Perhaps the first miracle was getting religious people to get along in peace and harmony! Acts 2:42-47They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread […]
Pentecost? Why? 3 Reasons (pt. 1) – Proclaim
The Prelude Luke 24:46-49He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you […]
How to Pray Away Fear and Timidity (from my book, Your Will Be Done)
I looked around the restaurant, and my attention was drawn to a South Asian man with a cushioned neck brace. Somehow, I immediately knew that I was to pray for him, and no, it was not from the comfort of my own seat…
Isolated? Great! Six Ways to Thrive while Social Distancing
Guess where I’m writing this piece from? Home. I’ve written and journaled from the tops of buildings, from subways, from Pakistani restaurants, beaches, airplanes, African desert tribes, and more, but all those juicy locales have been snatched away recently. My country issued a round-the-clock stay-at-home order several days ago. The regular challenges of doing life […]
Facebook, Google, God, & Gates
Name the five biggest tech companies in America. Most of you can probably do it. Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Google, and, at least at this point, Netflix. What do they all have in common? What makes them so influential, powerful, and, for many of us, indispensable? What can we learn from these millennial trends? It’s not […]
Billy Humphrey’s 4 Meditation Keys (pt. 2)
In our fast-paced, consumerist, interconnected, microwaveable, express-delivery primed culture, slowing down to rest feels like the most /un/natural thing in the world. It puts me in mind of a mile-long freight train just putting on its breaks. Have you ever heard the diabolical screeching? That’s that’s how strongly my mind resists coming to rest!
What’s that? You would still like to try? OK! It’s difficult but not impossible.
Billy Humphrey’s 4 Meditation Keys (pt. 1)
February 12, 2006. I’m posting on the 14th anniversary of this date. Why do I bring it up? Not because I was a fashion-challenged, hopelessly nerdy high school junior at the time! It’s the day that International House of Prayer-Atlanta began its 24/7 worship. Since then, thousands of musicians and prayer warriors alike have joined […]
The Synergy of Praying Together // 4
A few days ago I was sitting in the living room, having my personal quiet time with God. My roommate walked unannounced and said, “Hey let’s pray for T______ and his team.” He wasn’t even part of either of our organizations; nevertheless we spent the next five minutes in prayer. At the end, I was […]
Tears that Touch God // 3
How often do we coldly entreat God, “Fix it! Fix it!” His reply is, “Feel it! Feel it!” If your prayer doesn’t move you, it certainly won’t move God. I remember it vividly. About a decade ago I was several years into my struggle with the chronic pain in my legs that limited my physical […]