All posts in " prayer "
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The richness of prayer

By Dave Henning / December 5, 2014

Timothy Keller concludes Chapter 2 of Prayer with a detailed discussion of the richness of prayer, specifically citing the rich word pictures written by poet George Herbert (1593-1633) in his “Prayer (I)”.  Pastor Keller considers this poem “one of the greatest descriptions of prayer outside of the Bible.” Pastor Keller notes that there is a […]

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The centrality of prayer

By Dave Henning / December 4, 2014

In Chapter 2 of Prayer Timothy Keller focuses on the hardness (difficulty) and the centrality of prayer.  He cites The Still Hour, a classic book on prayer by nineteenth-century American theologian Austin Phelps.  Phelps began with the premise that “a consciousness of the absence of God is one of the standing incidents of religious life.” Pastor […]

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Take hold of God

By Dave Henning / December 3, 2014

“There is no one who calls upon your name, who raises himself to take hold of you.”- Isaiah 64:7 As Timothy Keller continues Chapter 2 of Prayer, he states that in ancient times people appealed to a great man by taking hold of his cloak.  Similarly, St. Paul sees prayer as a way to get […]

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Enlightening the eyes of your heart

By Dave Henning / December 2, 2014

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened . . .”- Ephesians 1:17 In Chapter 2 (“The Greatness of Prayer”) of Prayer: […]

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An intelligent mysticism

By Dave Henning / December 1, 2014

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”- 1 Peter 1:8 As Timothy Keller concludes Chapter 1 of Prayer, he cites Scottish theologian John Murray (Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, 1955), who wrote […]

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The heart experience

By Dave Henning / November 30, 2014

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry,’Abba, Father.’  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”- Romans 8:15-16 In Chapter 1 (“The Necessity of Prayer”) of […]

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From duty to delight

By Dave Henning / November 29, 2014

Timothy Keller’s latest book, just published, is titled Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God.  In the Introduction, Pastor Keller asserts that a book on the essentials of prayer should treat the theological, experiential (devotional), and methodological (practical) aspects of prayer- rather than primarily focusing on one specific aspect. Most recent books on  prayer, the […]

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The sound of sheer silence

By Dave Henning / October 23, 2014

“And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”- 1 Kings 19:12 “Be still and know that I am God.”- Psalm 46:10 In Chapter 4 (“A Startling Realization”) of AHA, Kyle Idleman recalls that in the mid- 90s a certain […]

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Desperation reveals dependence

By Dave Henning / October 22, 2014

But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.  So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper?  Arise, call out to your god!  Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”- Jonah […]

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Our defining moment

By Dave Henning / October 20, 2014

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”- 2 Corinthians 7:10 “The experience of loss does not need to be the defining moment of the story.  Instead, the defining moment can be our response to the loss.  It is not what happens to us that matters […]

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Sound the alarm!

By Dave Henning / October 16, 2014

“And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending them because He had compassion on His people.”- 2 Chronicles 36:15 (NKJV) In Chapter 2 (“Coming to Your Senses”) of AHA, Kyle Idleman begins by discussing alarm ring tones on cell phones.  Kyle states he’s discovered […]

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Come just as you are

By Dave Henning / October 11, 2014

Charles and Janet Morris continue their discussion of prayer in Chapter 11 of Missing Jesus by stating that Jesus not only promises to handle our problems, He also delivers us out of our small world of immediate concerns and brings us to a more expansive realm.  Our dark anti-gospel thoughts are brought into the light […]

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