Continuing his reflection on Ephesians 3:14-19 in Chapter 11 of Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Timothy Keller states that the word grasp means “to wrestle”- to jump on someone, wrestle that person to the ground, and knock the person out. The word grasp might seem, Pastor Keller notes, a very strange word to […]
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”- Ephesians 3:14 Timothy Keller continues his discussion of Ephesians 3:14-19 in Chapter 11 of Prayer by taking specific note of Paul’s opening phrase of his prayer- that he (Paul) kneels before the Father. In […]
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that this love surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the […]
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”- 2 Corinthians 5:21 At the end of Chapter 10 of Prayer, Timothy Keller reminds us that the phrase “law of the Lord” (Psalm 1:2) refers to all of Scripture, particularly its normative […]
As Timothy Keller concludes Chapter 10 of Prayer, he notes that British theologian John Owen (1616-1683) believed there were three distinctive movements or stages within meditation. Owen first distinguished meditation from Bible study and from prayer proper: “It is distinguished from the study of the Word, wherein the principal aim is to learn the truth […]
“Praise the Lord, my soul; and all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”- Psalm 103:1-2 Timothy Keller continues Chapter 10 of Prayer by exploring the relationship between meditation and our mind/heart. He notes that when Psalm 1 calls us to meditate, it uses […]
“If we pray without meditation, our own communion with God becomes poor and distant.”- Edmund Clowney Part Four of Timothy Keller’s book Prayer is entitled “Deepening Prayer”. In Chapter 10 (“As Conversation: Meditating on His Word”), Pastor Keller takes a close look at Psalm 1. He astutely notes that Psalm 1 is not a prayer […]
Today Timothy Keller concludes his discussion of the twelve touchstones of prayer with the final three touchstones, clustered under the heading “Where Prayer Takes Us”. 10. Self knowledge: prayer requires and creates honesty and self-knowledge. Pastor Keller notes that prayer must take us beyond humility into deep honesty with ourselves. Although honesty in prayer before […]
“Prayer is a means to energy. Spiritual alertness, vigor, and confidence are the regular spin-off from earnest prayer on any subject.”- J. I. Packer, Knowing Christianity Timothy Keller continues Chapter 9 of Prayer by discussing three touchstones clustered under the title “What Prayer Gives”. Prayer gives us: 7. Perspective- prayer reorients your view toward God. […]
“As far as I can see, prayer has been ordained only for the helpless. . . . Prayer and helplessness are inseparable. Only he who is helpless can truly pray.”- Ole Hallesby, Prayer Timothy Keller continues his discussion of the twelve touchstones of prayer by presenting the three things prayer requires. Prayer requires: 4. Grace- […]
Today Timothy Keller discusses the second and third touchstones of prayer in Chapter 9 of Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. 2. Prayer is conversing with God- responding to the Word. Pastor Keller notes that “to walk with” someone in the Bible is to have a friendship, since people talk as they walk together. […]
In Chapter 9 (“The Touchstones of Prayer”) of his book Prayer, Timothy Keller writes about twelve touchstones of prayer. Pastor Keller states we can use those twelve touchstones to “judge the relative strength and weakness of our prayers for honoring and connecting us to God.” The first four touchstones are clustered under the heading “What […]