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7 Difficult things we have to pray
As sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, it is our joy to be obedient in praying for every matter near to His heart, however hard it may seem at the time.
The right way to do an Esther fast
What does it mean to do an Esther fast? When do you do an Esther fast? It is important to understand the context of a biblical ‘Esther fast’ and how Believers can apply it to their own lives today.
Who am I?
Children and young people are in a process of finding their identity. It is important for us as adults to guide our children and help them to get Biblical answers to their identity questions.
Seeking God’s direction
Although we all have a unique relationship with the Lord, the Bible gives us safeguards, principles and guidelines that help us discern what God’s will is for us in different situations.
Gratitude
How do we manage to give thanks to God after a year filled with seemingly unending challenges? G.K. Chesterton said: “When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted, or you take them with gratitude”.
Honouring Jesus – the ‘I AM’
Seeking Jesus’ face by praying His Word is one sure way to draw closer to Him – Jesus is the Living Word! (John 1:1) Let us pray through the I AM statements of Jesus and honour Him.
Be still and reflect
Taking a moment to reflect on your year allows you to see it from God’s perspective and helps you realign yourself with God’s purposes before the start of the new year. This will give you much peace and confidence in Him, whatever lies ahead in the next year.
Be on fire for God without burning out
Usually, one does not end up burnt out due to hard work alone. Burnout is also accompanied by emotional and spiritual fatigue, leaving a person so tired that they struggle to regain equilibrium.
Healing from trauma
When we experience trauma it can cause us to wonder: Where was God when this happened?
Helping the persecuted Church from home
Many Christian workers are oppressed, mocked, imprisoned or beaten for sharing the gospel in countries where religious persecution is common. They endure enormous risk to keep sharing Christ with unreached peoples. You may ask the question – what can I do?
Christian persecution is a reality
In 2021, 360 million Christians lived in countries where persecution was “significant”. Nigeria has 4 out of 5 martyrs worldwide and Afghanistan’s persecution is now worse than North Korea. They want to know we are praying with them.
The blessings of suffering and persecution
What happens in the life of an individual facing and going through hardship and persecution for their faith in Christ? In this article, we will look at what the Word says about the blessings of persecution.
What the Bible says about Christian suffering and persecution
Throughout history, believers were persecuted for their faith. And persecution is still happening in many parts of the world today. What does the Bible say about the different types of hardships that a believer may be faced with?
Entering the Lord’s house of prayer (2)
Praying the ‘Our Father’ prayer can be likened to entering a spiritual house. In a sense, every part of the prayer can be viewed as a room of treasure to be explored. In this second article on the topic, we reflect on the last few facets of the ‘Our Father’ prayer.
Entering the Lord’s house of prayer (1)
Praying the ‘Our Father’ prayer can be likened to entering a spiritual house. In a sense, every part of the prayer can be viewed as a whole room of treasure to be explored in prayer. We reflect on each facet in two consecutive articles.
Crowns for Christ’s glory
Have you ever wondered how you can honour the Lord more with your life? Scripture is filled with guidelines of what a life pleasing unto God looks like. Scripture also mentions the ‘crowns’ God has prepared for those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Word is alive and powerful
The Word is powerful because God has authority and power. God will never break His Word, just as He will never break His covenant with the day and with the night (Jer.33:20). Flowers may drop off and grass whither, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. (1 Peter 1:24-25).
How not to pray
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, he also told them how they should not pray. Clearly this is important to remember in our own prayer life.
12 Characteristics of people who strive after holiness (Part 2)
This is the second article of two parts looking at the characteristics of people who strive after holiness.
12 Characteristics of people who strive after holiness (Part 1)
What is true practical holiness? This article is the first of two parts looking at the characteristics of people who strive after holiness.
Rising above the storm
Are you feeling overwhelmed by everyday challenges and life in general? Perhaps you feel that God may have forgotten you, or perhaps that your prayers are not reaching His heart and ear. What does the Lord expect from us when facing challenges?
Are you called to the ministry?
Everyone is called to ministry, but only some are called to the ministry. How will you know if you are called to the ministry?
When God is silent
When you read the Psalms, you will often hear David say: “Lord, where are you? Why are you silent? Why don’t you speak to me?” What must we do in such times?
Keep your marriage affair-free
Many marriages, Christian included, suffer devastation through one spouse having an extra-marital affair. Temptation is never far away. If you recognise some of the warning signs in your relationship, know that you can find your way back to safe ground.
A virtuous woman
Proverbs 31:10-31 describes the virtuous woman who has a godly character and whose faith is firmly set on her Maker. How can we use this example to pray for ourselves and for other women?
Women – a great host
Women can hold on to the hope of the Lord’s promise that He has given His word of power to enable them to rise above their circumstances, to be bearers of hope and transformation.
Prayers of Blessing
To bless others and to be a blessing to people should be an integral part of every believer’s character and conduct. That includes praying the blessing of the Lord over them.
Go on to maturity
Faith does not make room for ‘treading water’ and stagnant faith will cause your heart to harden and drift away from God. The Book of Hebrews urges readers to go on to maturity in their faith and to not remain spiritual babies.
The Fatherhood of God
In your relationship with God and other people, you will only continue to grow if you continuously experience a deeper and fuller revelation of the Fatherhood of God.
Growing concern for global food security
“We are facing hunger on an unprecedented scale, food prices have never been higher, and millions of lives and livelihoods are hanging in the balance.” Ordinary solutions alone will not solve the problem.
Becoming a praying congregation
It was very dear to Jesus’ heart and also a command from Him that the church should be a house of prayer (Matt.21:13), but this is one of the greatest challenges for churches.
Praying the names of Jesus in Revelation 1-3
The Book of Revelation is the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1). There are at least 20 names of the Lord Jesus found in chapters 1-3 and it is important that we focus on them.
The names of God in Psalm 23
Pausing and praying slowly through Psalm 23 unveils the character of God in greater depth, lighting up truths that can otherwise easily be missed.
The character of God and names of the Holy Spirit
Knowing and understanding God’s character, commands and works, will help us to discern His will and voice through the Holy Spirit.
Praying for grandchildren
Let us share our desires for our grandchildren with the Lord. When we pray according to His will, we know that He hears us and will answer our prayers (1 John 5:14-15).
Is your heart in your prayer?
If the prayers you pray do not move your own heart, do you think it will move the heart of God?
Keys to prayer from Psalm 86
In Psalm 86 David touches on 10 attitudes of the heart when coming before God in prayer.
20 Guidelines for effective prayer
Why are my prayers not answered? Why does it take so long for certain prayers to be answered? Is there a different way in which to pray that will render my prayers more effective?
When to be silent
Have you ever felt upset with yourself for saying something that was unnecessary? It is possible for us to grow in wisdom to discern those times the enemy wants to tempt us into saying or doing things that are really not displaying the fruit of the Spirit or the character of Christ.
Pray for Sikhs
Sikhism is based on the teachings of the ten Gurus contained in ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. Their pursuit is forever to strive for salvation through balancing work, worship and charity. They don’t know yet that Jesus is their only Saviour.
A man of God is a mystery
A man of God commands respect without words and he is awe-inspiring, but it is not respect and awe regarding the man himself. In an inexplicable way, we instinctively know that God is in this man. Why are there so few men of God?
Study the Word like Billy Graham
We take a look at Billy Graham’s own description of how he studied the Bible and see if we can’t find some good advice and encouragement for our own study in the Word.
Prayer thoughts for childless couples
There are more childless couples than we realise. Many have tried everything humanly possible without success and they struggle physically, emotionally and spiritually. How can you pray if this is you?
Be a cheerful giver!
Our God is both gracious and compassionate. As we choose to follow Him, He wants us to follow His example and be kind and open-hearted.
Why conversion and revival are Biblical
Some in the Church wonder whether conversion, and its corporate expression, revival, are not just manifestations of Western individualistic thinking. What does the Bible say?
God needs men (Part 3)
The power of God works through men who consecrate their lives to God. This is the last article in our 3-part series exploring the characteristics of such men.
Connecting with God
Connecting with God can easily be mistaken as having a specific ‘feeling’ or ‘experience’ when praying. Although that can serve as a great bonus, what can you do when you do not feel or experience anything?
Connecting your child to Jesus
The age of a child and their experience will determine how able they are to pray. However, listen to the prayers of a child concerning someone or something that is close to their heart, and you will hear the fervency with which they can pray.
God needs men (Part 2)
The power of God works through men who consecrate their lives to God. In this 3-part series we explore the characteristics of such men. This is part two in the series.
Was it a mountain top or valley year?
Whether the past year was a “mountain top” or a “valley of despair” year for you, pause a moment to reflect.
Gracefully sharing Jesus
Nobody likes a rude person, but often Christians leave such an impression when they share their testimony or faith. So, how can you gracefully share your faith with an unbeliever?
Prayers for first responders
We must pray for our first responders e.g. Police service, Fire and rescue service, Medical and Emergency response teams. Added to the tragic and devastating situations that they are exposed to, they are sometimes hindered to do their work with efficiency due to corruption, violence and mismanagement.
God needs men (Part 1)
When God wants to do something in the world, He always looks for a person through whom he can do it. The power of God works through men who consecrate their lives to God. In this 3-part series we will explore the characteristics of such men.
Child abuse is serious in God’s eyes
Child abuse has a serious longterm impact on a person. To know and recognise the signs of possible child abuse is the responsibility of all adults, especially Christians. We must know what to pray regarding this issue.
God wants to heal broken families
Families are a precious gift from God that should not be taken for granted, so when issues do arise, we need to turn to God and ask Him to intervene.
Standing alone for Jesus
You might come under pressure to lower your standards or your commitment, or even deny Jesus. Jesus encourages us to stay faithful to Him, despite opposition. By doing that, we may find that we stand alone.
Hear our Prayer: James Edwin Orr for Revival
In the words of a hymn written by James Edwin Orr, he asks God for revival. Pray fervently that God will bring us revival in our lifetime, and that He would start with each one of us.
Missionaries working in ‘closed’ countries
There is a great need for missionaries in countries where Christians are persecuted, but many steer away from these harvest fields due to the challenges and dangers they will face.
Read, study and obey the Bible
You can gain a lot of information from studying the Bible, but if you do not move from information to obedience, you will not grow and your study of the Bible will be of no real benefit to you.
Children and prayer: practical activities
As Christians, we desire for our children to remain true to their identity in Christ. So we have to create opportunities to teach them the ways of the Lord and how to pray. Practical activities are provided to share with children.
Hear our Prayer: Charles Spurgeon for the touch of the Holy Spirit
May this prayer by Charles Spurgeon inspire and encourage you to pray for the touch of the Holy Spirit!
5 Areas a man needs to gain victory in
As men we want to show our strength, make our stand, show ourselves strong and able. These can be good, but only when they are birthed from the Spirit of God and from a heart of humility and brokenness.
Love the stranger
Foreigners seeking a better future in another nation is a reality across the globe. There are many reasons why people seek to rebuild their lives in a different country. Some of these are very serious and life-threatening reasons. What does God say about the way we are to treat these “strangers”?
A prayer for elderly parents
Let us commit to intercede for our elderly parents before the throne of grace. God cares about them, and we should not neglect to pray for them.
Hear our Prayer: Thomas à Kempis to Rest in Jesus
This series, Hear our Prayer, gives us a glimpse into the prayer lives of saints who have gone before us. In this prayer, Thomas à Kempis asks for the ability to rest in Jesus above all else.
Warning signs of a lukewarm Christian life
You want to be sure that you run your race of faith in Christ with passion and zeal. So, is it possible to spot when you are at risk of becoming lukewarm in your relationship with the Lord? What would be some warning signs to look out for?
Being a man of God
No man can be flawless. We are all humans. We make mistakes and we commit sin. To be a man of God is something that happens in the heart of a person. The question is: What is in your heart? What is flowing from your heart?
Asking for God’s blessings for obedience
Pray that obedience to do God’s will might increase in the hearts of our people, and that He will pour out His blessings on the nation.
Hear our Prayer: Andrew Murray about Listening to God
This prayer by Andrew Murray speaks of the importance of making time to listen to God, rather than just speaking to Him.
Pray the Word about the Word
Praying Scripture over our lives remains the single most important prayer we can pray! Ask the Holy Spirit to establish the Word in your heart so that it becomes part of you – influencing the way you pray, think and live.
The Andrew Principle
Make a list of names and regularly pray for the unsaved, other Christians and the nations. Follow the Andrew Principle.
Praying for someone whose parent has died
Death is always traumatic and even more so when you lose one of your parents. How do I pray for someone whose parent has died?
Hear our Prayer: Horatius Bonar about Praise
This series, Hear our Prayer, gives us a glimpse into the prayer lives of saints who have gone before us. May this prayer and hymn by Horatius Bonar inspire and encourage us to fill every part of our lives with praise.
10 Salvation Scriptures to pray
God is even more concerned about the salvation of the unsaved than we are. Therefore we can boldly come before His throne of grace, pleading for their salvation.
15 Things fathers can pray for their sons
It’s difficult for boys to develop into men and fathers, without a father’s presence. A father’s life, example and prayers determine to a great extent his son’s life.
Hear our Prayer: Charles Spurgeon for revival
In the series, Hear our Prayer, we look at prayers of saints who have gone before us. May this prayer of Spurgeon stir a desire for revival in your heart.
Pray for the medical profession
Many people in the medical profession regularly have to work very long hours and have to deal with all kinds of stressful situations at work. Let us pray for them and for the conditions at medical facilities. (Ook beskikbaar in Afrikaans)
Bid vir die mediese professie
Baie mense in die mediese professie moet gereeld baie lang ure werk en het dikwels nie die nodige toerusting om hulle werk te doen nie. Vir baie is dit moeilik om die druk te hanteer. Laat ons vir hulle en vir die toestande by mediese fasiliteite bid.
To battle on your knees for your children
Whenever you pray for your child, do it as if you are interceding for his or her life – because that’s exactly what you are doing. Be diligent in praying for your children.
The vocabulary of salvation
We look at brief definitions of key words regarding the aspects of salvation in the life of every Believer.
30 Proclamations about Jesus
Worthy is our Lord Jesus Christ! This article provides 30 Scriptures you can pray from your Bible about the person and character of the Lord Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to lay them as a foundation of faith in your heart, mind and spirit.
Meditating on the Word
Meditating on the Word will become a time that you will treasure every day. Meditation is focussed repetition of Scripture verse(s) or phrase(s) with the focus on gaining a deeper understanding or revelation of God’s intention for you, or just simply of the verse/phrase itself.
Praying as a single parent
When one parent has to take all the responsibility of caring for children, it requires massive adjustments and a host of coping skills. How do you pray for yourself and your children as a single parent?
Time in prayer – practical tips
While people honestly want to spent time with God, they simply just do not know where to start and what to do. In this article we provide some practical guidelines to help you spend the desired time with the Lord.
A priest that prays
It is important to understand that as priests of God, all Christians are now called to priestly intercession. Jesus is our great High Priest. As a priest, His role is that of intercessor and we would do well to emulate Him.
Is a prayer position important?
Is one prayer position better than another? Scripture does not really recommend a specific prayer position, but it does identify some distinct physical prayer positions of different people in the Bible.
Aspects of salvation (Part 2): Justification, sanctification and fruit of the Spirit
Some aspects of salvation and the terminology used can be complicated. This is the second article in our 2-part series providing brief summaries of these sometimes complicated terms.
Aspects of Salvation (Part 1): Sin, iniquity and transgressions
Some aspects of salvation and the terminology used can be complicated. In a 2-part series we provide brief summaries of these sometimes complicated terms. In this first article the focus is on sin, iniquity and transgressions.
Praying from lists – yes or no?
‘Not all intercessors always use lists, but keeping a prayer list has both a Biblical basis and a practical significance for meaningful intercession’. – Dick Eastman
How to pray about abortion
Many women have had one or more abortions, and thousands are currently considering having an abortion. An estimated 200,000 abortions take place in South Africa every year. How can we pray about this practice and for everyone involved?
Dealing with recurring offences
After you have forgiven offences over and over again for many years, you have just reached your very end. It may feel like your willingness to do what is right before the Lord is spent. Here are some thoughts to consider about dealing with recurring offences.
Impossible prayers
Take a moment to think about it. Are you specific in your requests to God? How about starting an “Impossible Prayers” list to pray?
What to pray while in transition
The challenges of the past year have definitely brought many to a transition of some kind, including spiritual transition. How do I recognise whether I am in a transition right now? How do I respond to life during times of transition?
How to consecrate yourself to God
To dedicate your heart to God is to make a conscious, willing decision to surrender your soul, mind, heart, and body to God. This decision must be one of free will, mindful of the cost thereof, and flowing from a deep affection for God. You cannot keep such a resolution by striving alone.
What does it mean to consecrate your life?
Why would you want to consecrate yourself to God? Are you not consecrated once you get saved? Consecration to God is an important spiritual activity that many believers reach in their relationship with the Lord once they come into a deeper desire and pursuit of Him.
Pray about racism
We need a miracle to achieve reconciliation, and the restoration of economic and social opportunities for every person in our nation. As believers in Christ we have the opportunity to be part of that miracle. As Christians we need to recognise how Christ has reconciled us to God and to each other.
How to pray for strangers
We have plenty of personal problems, friends and family that keep us on our knees, so we do not really go looking for more prayer material. But does God expect us to also pray for people we do not really know?
Why is it so hard for Christians to pray?
Violence and immorality are on the rise. Our society is pleasure mad. False prophets – “angels of light” – have already deceived many with their doctrines of demons. Even with these powerful warnings about the dangers of neglecting prayer, Christians still find it hard to pray.
Scriptures to pray when you are under demonic attack
In the first article on this topic we looked at some signs which can indicate that we are under demonic attack. Now we will focus on Scriptures that we can pray when we know that we are under demonic attack.






























































































