The normal human response when caught doing something wrong is to run away and hide. We see it clearly in
Adam and Eve who tried to hide from God in the Garden of Eden after taking a bite from the forbidden fruit
(Genesis 3). But God sees all things and knows all things. We cannot pretend we are something we are not.
He knows us inside and out. Nothing is hidden from His sight. Instead of creating fear, this truth should
liberate us to share a remarkable degree of intimacy with the Lord. Therefore, we must be willing to
overcome our natural inclination to cover up sin. If our desire is to follow Jesus wherever He leads us, and to
become more like Him every day, then the only way to be transformed is by inviting Him in to search our
hearts, reveal our fears, uncover our sin, and lead us to everlasting life.
A Bold Prayer
Part 11 >>
March 21, 2021 • Chan Mitchell
Praying In Secret
March 14, 2021 • Chan Mitchell
We are busy people who live in a noisy world and often manage hectic schedules. It is extremely difficult to find quality time to spend with our friends and family, much less quiet and private time to spend with our Heavenly Father. However, in condemning the Pharisees for their outward appearances of righteousness, Jesus taught that we are to go to a “place of privacy” to be alone with God in prayer. Praying only for the purpose of receiving outward praise and recognition leads to rewards that are earthly, temporary and meaningless. The Gospels indicate that Jesus often retreated to lonely places to pray to His Heavenly Father. The promise for praying in secret is that our Heavenly Father will see us in secret and give us rewards that are eternal, spiritual and transforming to our soul.
Praying Together
March 7, 2021 • Chan Mitchell
There is something powerful about a group of people coming together for a common cause. It’s true for sports teams that win together, for military troops who fight together, and for the Body of Christ who prays together. There is both a strong biblical history and church history that establishes the priority of the Body of Christ coming together in unified prayer for the sole purpose of seeing God's glory and power go on display. Even a casual glance through the book of Acts reveals that the early church was serious about praying together. They prayed together in the temple and in their homes, when they were sick and when they were filled with the Spirit, at mealtimes and in times of persecution. Throughout modern history we can find numerous examples of Christians devoting themselves to praying together. And today as the Church shines the light of Christ in the places where it is planted, it must not neglect the most important work of corporate prayer.
Barriers to Our Prayers
February 28, 2021 • Chan Mitchell
Unanswered prayer will test our faith. Weeks, or months, even years, of waiting on a particular prayer request can tempt us to despair. Yet God’s Word gives us wisdom to help build a strong prayer life. With all the good that unanswered prayer can provide, Scripture reveals a category of unanswered prayer that we ourselves have caused. Sometimes we are the architects, building the ceiling that our prayers hit. Unanswered prayer is not always the result of God’s telling us, “no”, but rather that we have set up barriers that hinder our prayers. The Bible says God looks to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). When we are aware of these barriers to prayer and how to overcome them, we will experience the joy of a strong and healthy prayer life.