Pray For Presidential Candidates

Photo by Andrew Allen

Much has been said about each of the presidential candidates. They become banner carriers for a certain school of thought, values, or ideals. We can forget though that they're real life people and experience things on a personal level.

Even with all their faults, God loves each of them on a personal level and wants to be at the center of their lives. Just like you and I need forgiveness for sins, so do the presidential candidates. The siren song of popular opinion, political ideology, and global power can be overwhelmingly tempting and can lead them down a destructive path both personally and for those they lead. The best thing that could happen for our leaders is if they truly follow Him and His guidance for their personal lives and as they lead our country.

Would you join me in praying for each of them individually that they would submit their will to God, seek His wisdom, and experience His love in their lives?

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Prayer for Paris

View of Paris From Notre Dame

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." -Hebrews 12:2-3

Lord, it seems like there is so much evil in the world. It saddens me to hear about events like the terrorist attack in Paris. How can people be so deluded that they believe killing hundreds of people honors you and meets your desires and wishes?

Even in the middle of this tragedy, please let your hand work to provide comfort and healing to families, individuals, and communities. Let your people, churches, and missionaries have opportunities to minister and provide hope in the midst of sadness, confusion, and a sea of darkness.

Let your light and love break through the darkness to provide strength, shelter, and the ability to move forward, holding on to you. Pull down spiritual strongholds and reveal the lies keeping people in bondage to a false god. Only your love can give them fulfillment and purpose.

Let the extremists experience you in dreams and realize that in Jesus there is hope and life that can be lived abundantly rather than dominated by fear and hatred. Turn around their devotion and commitment to a false god into a powerful movement among MBBs that they would boldly share their faith and invite friends and family into relationship with you.

In You there is hope, joy, love, and comfort and I ask that you pour this out on the people of Paris so that they experience you in real and tangible ways.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Prayer, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Food for Thought: If you spent as much time in prayer as you do on social media, how would it affect your life and spiritual walk? Would you experience more or less joy? More or less fruit of the spirit? More or less wisdom? More or less sensitivity to the voice of God in your life? More or less intimacy with Jesus?

Social media isn't categorically a bad thing and I think it can be used for lots of good purposes but it needs to have its proper place. When the default is to open your phone or computer and mindlessly scroll through Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or a Twitter feed, there's probably a lot of time wasted that could be better used elsewhere. For me, I've decided to try to limit social media consumption to a max of 15 minutes a day, if not less.

This is an attempt to recapture productivity, experience more of real life, sleep more, and recenter myself on prayer and pursuing God more intentionally.

Is there anything in your life that you need to evaluate eliminating or reducing?

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Pray for Leaders

Everyone follows a leader at some point in their life whether parents, a boss, a coach, teacher, pastor, government officials, military officer, volunteer coordinator, or some other person in leadership. It is important to pray for those who lead us that God will give them wisdom and direction as they make decisions. Whether you personally agree with them or not, pray that they will seek God’s direction and wisdom.

I Timothy 2: 1-2 says, “I urge then first of all that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

The weight of leadership can lead to loneliness in the very ones who are responsible for large numbers of other people. Sometimes a leader just needs a friend to share their burdens with and to encourage them. If you’re not in direct leadership, you can still have great influence by praying with, speaking truth and encouragement into a leader’s life.

When you have the opportunity to lead others, don’t feel that you have to bear the full weight of responsibility alone. Pray like crazy and seek out others for counsel and support. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Pray for your boss, coach, teacher, government leaders, pastor, and anyone who has a position of oversight and influence. When appropriate, let them know about it too. Knowing that someone is lifting you up in prayer can be encouraging in the midst of a stressful situation.

Take a moment right now to pray for your leaders that God will guide and give them wisdom.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Prayer and Watering Plants

Generally, I'm a fairly decent plant caretaker. At present, I have one peace lily in my humble abode. It's not too difficult to care for but requires watering several times each week. Left unwatered for more than a few days though and it looks woefully unhealthy and on its way to the compost pile.

In dire need of water

As I thought about it, our prayer lives can be similar. Given regular quality prayer time, spiritually we stay healthy and connected to God but skip a few days and things start to get ugly. When you think of God as providing pure water essential for life, to stop drinking from His fountain means certain spiritual decline.

It's also important to get it directly from Him. While music, followers of Christ, sermons, radio, blogs, books, etc. can provide encouragement in the direction of Him, only He can provide 100% pure spiritual nourishment that will revive and revitalize you. 

Something else that's important is eliminating unhealthy sources of sustenance. If I were to pour battery acid in the plant, it would be dead before the day was over. While it sounds extreme, sometimes toxic media choices, people we associate with, and habits we engage in can act as the spiritual equivalent of battery acid on a plant.

"whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” -John 4:14

Watered and perked up

Next time you water a plant or see one in need of some TLC, let it be a reminder to pause and pray and take a drink from the fountain of spiritual life.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?

Would you become a follower of Jesus if he personally came to visit you? That is exactly what is happening to many in the Muslim world. In DREAMS AND VISIONS: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World? Tom Doyle recounts the experiences of many Muslims whom Jesus has appeared to in dreams. This often creates curiosity and the desire to know more about Jesus which is much more easily facilitated with internet access and online resources available to read the Bible and learn more about who Jesus is.

It is extremely dangerous for a Muslim to become a follower of Jesus due to the potential for "honor killings" performed by family members or others against the new believer. However, the overwhelming love and peace that Jesus offers to them when juxtaposed with the sometimes controlling and fear oriented culture they live in overcomes concern of potential repercussions.

In one especially interesting story, a man becomes a follower of Jesus while on a business trip to Mecca during the Hajj. Christianity is illegal in Mecca and can be punished by death. However, he starts to explore the different places in Mecca and pray for the Muslims there. He's very surprised to meet another follower of Jesus who helps him get out of a very dangerous spot. The author also tells of others living in Mecca who study and bring Bibles into the city to give away though it is not allowed.

In another account, a woman named Dina works as a Female Secret Police agent, a group who hunts down and punishes any slips in modesty by women that go outside of Sharia law. She began watching a call in satellite TV show called Iran Alive! in which the host, Hormoz Shariat, a former Muslim encourages Muslims to follow Jesus. When she calls, she goes into diatribes against Christianity.

Hormoz says, "Dina, whenever you call me, you sound angry and filled with hatred. I think your religion produces that in you." She responds, "I can never have a better life than I have had in Islam." Hormoz says, "Oh? Has Islam brought you any particular happiness that you can point to?" She admits that she does have problems in life and says that she is going to kill herself on his show. Hormoz challenges her to give Jesus a week to answer her prayers. She reluctantly agrees but is amazed to find that her mother is healed of a very bad illness and as a result becomes a follower of Jesus and experiences incredible peace.

It is not only casual Muslims who are coming to follow Jesus, the book also tells of multiple accounts of imams believing in and following Jesus, some of whom have training from the most prestigious Islamic seminaries in the world.

Each chapter tells the story of a new Muslim and their experience with Jesus and many read like a high action thriller novel even though they are true. In addition to the personal accounts, there is also lots of information about Islam. For example, the book says that two of the countries with the most growth in followers of Christ is in Iran and Afghanistan which For example, Afghanistan and Iran have exploded in growth of new followers of Jesus within the past 10 years and is estimated to have some of the highest growth in the world.

Jesus says, Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." -Luke 9:23-24 For the Muslim who decides to follow Jesus this is no small thing; they may very literally pay with their life.

I recommend this book if you would like to learn more about the exciting work of God and how He's started a revival among Muslims. It also helps soften one's heart for Muslims and encourages prayer for them. Check it out on Amazon at this link: DREAMS AND VISIONS: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?

How Long Can You Go Without Sinning?

How long can you go without sinning? 30 minutes? An hour? A day? A week?

The enemy of your soul spends every minute of the day devising ways to tempt and draw you away from Jesus. "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." -I Peter 5:8 He hates your guts and will do everything in his ability to cause pain, heartache, busyness, broken relationships, and keep your focus off of God.

The good news is that the lover of your soul has power over all and desires a thriving relationship with you. Those who have a personal relationship with Jesus, have access to the most powerful force in all of creation. "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." -I John 4:4 If you aren't currently following Him, He loves you and wants to offer you an abundant life. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." -John 10:10

Sometimes sin gets so entrenched, possibly even to the point of addiction, that it takes some very hard work to reshape your life and thought patterns so that they're fixed on God. Don't try to go it alone either. Your brothers and sisters in Christ will fight alongside you for righteousness.

Never believe the lies of Satan that you're not good enough, never will be, have no value, will always have shame and be enslaved to sin. I Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." When you find yourself tempted, cry out to God for help and reach out to fellow believers in Christ in times of weakness.

Beyond eliminating unhealthy or destructive input (whatever the source: TV, music, internet, radio, movies, books, magazines, negative people) from your life, fill your mind with things that encourage righteousness. In addition to reading the Bible and prayer, some of the most helpful things I've found are scripture memory and singing worship songs. Throughout the day and week choose a verse or two to memorize and it will help keep your mind from wandering and pull your focus back if you begin to drift.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…" -Hebrews 12:1-2a

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Commit Your Work to the Lord

“Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” -Proverbs 16:3

When you go to work each day do you start out with prayer to dedicate the day and your work to God? It makes a big difference when you’re operating from a framework of prayer as a starting point. Sure the job/task may be mundane or not even seem to be remotely related to spiritual matters but it’s important to bring God into even the ordinary parts of your work.

I think that God uses work to develop our character and who we are as people, not only as a way to make a living. That challenging task or difficult person at your workplace presents a great opportunity to turn the situation over to God in prayer and allow Him to step in to give you wisdom and strength.

It goes beyond just the professional workplace to include things like ministry, volunteer activities, hobbies, family, friends, relationships, anything that you spend time doing. Pray about them and commit each activity you’re involved in to the Lord. He will often reveal things to you and give you insight that you’d never have outside of seeking Him about it.

Is it possible to do good work without first committing it to God? Sure it is. But I’d much rather my foundation be grounded in Him and established by Him than strictly through my own efforts. It’s kind of like checking in with the architect before starting construction as well as throughout the project. He can point out trouble spots and better ways of doing things that you might not realize otherwise.

What’s something that you need to commit to the Lord?

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

By Faith Not By Sight

To say that Scott Macintyre is extraordinary is to say that grass is green or water is wet. He just is. As the book develops, his heart shows through and not at all in an arrogant or conceited way. Some people are simply gifted and live incredible lives. His heart is that of a man who desires to inspire people through music and give glory to God.

I had not heard of Scott prior to reading the book and have watched American Idol maybe once. But as a musician and songwriter myself, I closely identified with many of the experiences he described in the songwriting process and performance preparations.

Scott graduated college at the age of 19 and subsequently was a Marshall scholar during which time he obtained a masters degree at the Royal College of Music in London. A year after returning to the US, he and his family went on tour as a singing group. After becoming interested in American Idol on television, he eventually decided to audition. Over the course of the next few months, he went through audition after audition and advanced through round after round, eventually making it to the top 13 before being eliminated in the round of 8.

Simply on the merits of his accomplishments in music and academics, he would already be considered to have lived a remarkable life. But add to this the fact that he’s legally blind with only 2 percent tunnel vision, and the accomplishments take on a whole new dimension. Not only is he blind but while getting his masters degree, he was in end stage kidney failure and had to go through about a year of dialysis followed by a kidney transplant once returning to the US.

Scott is additionally deeply committed to His walk with God, which is apparent all throughout the book. In numerous medical challenges, musical performances, and other events he is constantly lifting up the scenario in prayer and seeking God’s will. His close ties with his family are apparent and the love they have for each other is a model for family life. It is clear that Scott believes both in working and praying very hard in all aspects of his life. Because of his faith, musical gifts, and personality, I think if we ever had the opportunity to interact that we would probably become good friends.

Scott’s story is inspirational to say the least and proves that a person can do so much even with a handicap. He doesn’t use his blindness as an excuse for not doing something but rather works that much harder to overcome challenges and truly lives a full life.

If you’ve already seen him on television or heard his music, the book provides excellent color into who he is and the back story behind his life. For those who’ve not heard of him, he provides great insight into the world of a blind person, what it’s like to live with kidney disease and get a transplant, not to mention the life of a professional pop musician. His faith and trust in God will encourage you to seek God in your life as well. I highly recommend the book.

Inquire of the Lord

David consistently inquired of the Lord in numerous scenarios throughout his life. (I Samuel 23:2,4, I Samuel 30:8, 2 Samuel 2:1, 2 Samuel 5:23, I Chronicles 14:10) He knew the importance of staying in direct communication with God and highly valued His input.

In my own life I’ve had experiences where I distinctly sensed that God was leading me to do something or not do something. When I follow the leading, things turn out well but when I don’t, they inevitably go poorly.

Rather than making plans and asking God to bless them, it’s much more effective to inquire of Him ahead of time. Not that having goals and plans are bad but including God as the driver of the process from the start is crucially important.

Inquiring of God is good in both the big and small decisions. Getting in the habit of conversing with Him throughout the day and not just at set times is a great way of seeking His guidance and counsel. It’s just like you might talk with a friend about whatever subject while hanging out.

It’s helpful to remove external distractions when inquiring of Him and get your heart focused. This isn’t always possible in the heat of battle but intentional conversation in the peace and quiet helps facilitate staying in tune with Him when the battle gets thick. If there’s sin in your life, confess it so that you can interact with Him openly and unhindered.

Worship is another great way of preparing your heart to talk with God. Bring offerings of praise to the throne of God and just spend time in His presence. There is joy in His presence. It is there that you can truly commune with Him and seek wisdom.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Do You Pray About Work?

Most people have at least some natural ability in their profession. As a result, there can be a tendency to rely solely on their talent, intellect, creativity, and hard work. While all of these are important elements to a successful professional life, a major piece is missing if prayer is left out.

God can give you insight into work scenarios that you would never have thought of on your own. He can open doors and opportunities where it would otherwise be impossible. He can give you the right words to use in tense meetings and clarity in challenging situations. As Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."

On a spiritual level, He can help you to bring hope and light to a dark world. Fellow co-workers, vendors, and customers may each be very good in their respective fields but at the same time have a God shaped hole in their life. Pray for them and do your work with excellence so that they will respect you professionally. This may lead to opportunities to have deeper conversations about faith or to encourage them in seeking God.

Prayer should be an important part of your entire life and especially in your work, school, and/or ministry. When you go to work this week, pray at the beginning of the workday, as you attend meetings, write emails, make phone calls, and work on projects. Praying about your work creates a God-sized multiplier that would otherwise be impossible.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Sit Down and Chat With God

Ever find yourself cruising through life with little more than an occasional nod or quick shout out in God’s general direction? If that happens, sit down as quickly as possible and re-engage with Him on a deeper level.

It can be as simple as chatting with Him for a few minutes about how the day’s going. It can be as involved as intensive Bible study, spending time in intentional worship, or refocusing your heart through intercessory prayer. The key is to take some time aside and connect with him.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” -Psalm 46:10

It is only in close communion with Him that we benefit from His wisdom and insight for our lives. Frequent interaction brings familiarity, a deeper relationship, and the ability to recognize His voice amidst chaos and confusion. Anchor yourself through time with Him, seeking Him diligently and passionately in prayer.

Pray to God

This is the first southern gospel/country song that I've written. Enjoy!

Pray to God
By Andrew Allen

If darkness is around you and you can't find your way
and there's no shining light to lead you into day
He will be your shelter and He will be your guide
Just bow your head my friend and you can pray to God

Pray to God, Pray to God
If your heart is hurt and heavy pray to God
If you're walking through the valley and the road is dark and long
Just bow your head my friend and you can pray to God

He'll lift you up and comfort you when sorrow overcomes
He'll give you strength when you're weak with Him the victory's won
When you fall He'll pick you up and hold you by the hand
Just bow your head my friend and you can pray to God

Pray to God, Pray to God
If your heart is hurt and heavy pray to God
If you're walking through the valley and the road is dark and long
Just bow your head my friend and you can pray to God

Backseat Faith

Have you ever had those times when you sort of, kind of are doing the whole walk with God thing? Yeah, you might listen to the Christian radio station in the car and even make it to church most of the time but as far as an active and thriving relationship with Him, it’s mostly not happening.

It can be so easy to slip into this pattern with countless social events, work obligations, family commitments, sports, extra curricular activities, etc. vying for our attention. If we’re not careful, these activities can creep in and relegate faith to a backseat role with limited day-to-day involvement.

Not only does keeping faith on the sideline open the door for temptation and sin to steal in but it also robs us of the abundant life offered in Christ. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” -John 10:10.

For faith to thrive, it must be fed and exercised. When this happens, it will produce fruit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” –Galatians 5:22-23.

Invite Jesus into your day no matter how packed or busy. Read the Bible. Sing and listen to worship songs that focus your heart and mind on Him. Talk to Him as you would a friend. Thank Him for blessings in your life, ask Him for wisdom, intercede for the needs of yourself and others and believe that He will answer.

Let us seek more than just a casual faith in God but rather one that is active, thriving, and an integral part of our lives.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Have you noticed faith taking a backseat role in your life recently?

Sweet Potatoes and Sin

Ever left something like a sweet potato untended for far too long? If not, check out the picture to the left to see what happens to a tater in a dark place. Roots begin to develop and grow.

If you think about it, sin can be similar. Left untended in a dark place, sin will take root growing steadily until it is so entrenched that it takes significant focus and prayer to be rid of.

As James says: "...each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." -James 1:14-15.

At the first sign of temptation, nip it in the bud. Rip out anything that's started to take root in your life and throw it away. Avoid seeding your mind and environment with things that make fertile soil for sin. Instead, fertilize ground that is rich in righteousness and ripe for the fruit of the Spirit.

Is there anything growing in your life that needs to be uprooted?

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Note: no sweet potatoes were harmed in the writing of this post

In All Your Ways Acknowledge Him

How many times have you compartmentalized faith as a part of your life? It can be so easy to have that 5, 10, or 15 minute quiet time in the morning or at night (check it off the list), go to church for a couple hours on the weekend, and then more or less not include God in the rest of your day/week.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." "All your ways" means all, Not just some but all. On a practical level, that means staying in a constant mindset of conversation with God. As you're driving to work, before that conference call, when you're making a difficult decision, while you're standing in line at the grocery store, as you're talking with people. At all times.

When we get in this habit of praying continually -I Thessalonians 5:17, we can really involve God in all aspects of our life and not act as if he's just a minor player in it. He becomes intricately woven throughout our lives and we more clearly hear from Him as He guides our steps.

A really short but good book on this topic is The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

Prayer CATS

An acronym that can be helpful when thinking about prayer and how to pray is C.A.T.S.
Confession
Adoration
Thanksgiving
Supplication

Sometimes this acronym is in the order ACTS but I think it's good to confess sin first thing before getting into the other areas. Just seems to make sense if there's something that's not straight with me and God to fess up then get down to business. Then, I can focus on the praise and worship of who He is followed by thanks for the many blessings He's given me and after each of these elements, intercession and prayer for myself and others. Of course, it doesn't always have to follow this order but it's at least a good tool to keep in the back pocket.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Prayer: Conversing With God

Sometimes prayer is perceived as needing to be a high and lofty exercise of religion with flowery language that one must be "trained" in or spend years going to seminary to learn. Rosalind Rinker helps to dispel this perception and shows how easy it can be to have a very real and active prayer life.

The subtitle "Conversing With God" describes the main focus and type of prayer that Ms. Rinker refers to. Prayer is simply a conversation with God and not some formal theological exercise. Just as one would speak with a friend or family member, they can also speak with God. Just as a person might talk about the day with a friend, let Him know what's going on, thank and praise Him for the incredible things He's done and for who He is, and seek His wisdom for their life.

She also helps show how to incorporate prayer throughout the day and not just at designated times. In some Bible studies, people spend more time talking about prayer requests than actually praying. Rinker helps show how to structure prayer time so that it naturally flows like a conversation with the Holy Spirit prompting people to pray as they are led and as things come to mind. By making it more of a conversation, you both talk with the people in the group and with Jesus who is there with you.

She also addresses the risk of praying to impress other people or gain their approval by manufacturing emotion, fervency, or eloquent speech. This completely misses the point of prayer which is communicating with God. If one wishes to be eloquent and have people praise him or her for their great public speaking abilities, they should seek out alternate venues rather than "showing off" during times of prayer.

The book incorporates scripture passages as well as real life examples to illustrate conversational prayer. It also has a short devotional section at the back of the book which can be used to learn this style of prayer and engaging with God one on one.

The book is written in an easy to understand format and can be read very quickly. I recommend reading a chapter at a time to allow time to meditate on the chapter topic. If you would like good tips on improving your prayer life and how to communicate with God in a down to earth manner, this book offers very practical and easy steps to implement.

If you found this review helpful, please let Amazon know at this link.

Prayer and Breathing

Prayer should be like breathing to us, as frequent and constant and necessary as the next breath. In it we find our sustenance and strength, our life line to God. How awesome that the God and creator of the world desires intimate communication with us. As you breath, pray and draw life from the giver of it.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things which you do not know." -Jeremiah 33:3.

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

Fresh Wind Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala

Cymbala's book more than anything is a call to prayer and earnest seeking of God. As a young man in the early 1970s he began pastoring the fledgling Brooklyn Tabernacle having had no formal training. Through his own brokenness and seeking God, he came to understand that God would bless the ministry and continue to bring people for them to minister to and introduce to Jesus if they would truly seek Him and not rely on their own devices or abilities.

As a result, the Tabernacle saw a great deal of growth and tremendous Christian ministry opportunities were opened to reach out to the people of Brooklyn and New York City as a whole. From the very beginning they made the cornerstone of their church the Tuesday evening prayer service during which they called to God and sought Him. Many extraordinary events occurred as a result and continue to happen today.

People who were once very closed towards Jesus come to true repentance and a real relationship with Him through this ministry. The Tuesday evening prayer ministry is so important that Cymbala will not accept speaking engagements if they keep him away from the prayer meeting more than one prayer meeting at in a row.
As a result of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and direct them through seeking Him in prayer, they see lots of really cool stuff that could in no way be scripted.

Prayer is also an integral part of their Grammy award winning choir ministry with the weekly rehearsal incorporating at least 30 minutes of prayer to the practice.

Far from being a feel good type of book, Cymbala challenges the reader and today's churches to truly come before God and passionately seek Him in prayer and study of the Bible. He mentions various trends and how some churches try to cater to popular culture and make things cool and hip and while those things aren't bad in and of themselves, he emphasizes that it is a mistake to promote these flashy programs and neglect the ministry of prayer. Contrastingly, he points to the early church "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer..." Acts 1:14 When believers and the church are in constant communion with God, He tends to work more actively and mightily.

I highly recommend this book as a reminder on the importance of prayer as well as a good high level overview of the history of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

If you found this review helpful, please let Amazon know at this link.