Come and pray. . . The Jerusalem Talmud, Berakhot 4:4 (8b) Pray – The Jerusalem Talmud, the shorter of the two great collections of rabbinic material, includes the following instruction: “One who is called upon to lead services is not told, ‘Come and pray,’ but ‘Come and kerav – offer our sacrifices, seek out our…
It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 NASB Teach us to pray – Before we read the refracted brilliance of Heschel’s remarks about prayer, we should…
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 NIV Teach us – The disciples were Jewish, through and through. They had been praying in the synagogue and in their homes since they were…
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me. Psalm 66:20 NASB Has not turned away – As we discovered yesterday, the biblical standard is holiness. Absolute holiness. There is no “bell curve” of righteousness. There is no appeasement policy. There is no “life” insurance because you once made some…
“Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and the LORD changed His mind about the misfortune which He had pronounced against them?” Jeremiah 26:19 Entreat– What does it mean to entreat someone? Even in English we have a difficult time expressing this thought succinctly. Certainly the concept involves a gesture of respect,…
It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12 NASB Whole night– Have you ever spent a whole night in prayer? Perhaps you’ve participated in a prayer vigil or taken a shift in a community event. But that’s not what this…
Yes, I know it’s Shabbat, but these two items are well-worth the exception. Ellen Jones is out of ICU and home. Recovery will take time, but she is on the mend. Thank you for your prayers. Now we have another woman who needs support. Pam’s youngest son died and then her husband. Her other son…
“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’” Isaiah 58:9a Then– When does God guarantee He will answer our prayers? The prophet Isaiah provides the answers. The people voice their concern: “Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?” God replies:…
In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3 NASB Order my prayer – First, a modest correction. “My prayer” is not found in the text. It might be that the context is correct, but the verse reads, “I will order toward you.” Once we remove the…
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being…
