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In his classic Confessions (Book X), Augustine prays, “Give what Thou commandest, and command what Thou willest.”

Some say that God never demands more than we can handle, but is this true? You may say,

“Of course it’s true! After all, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13: ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’”
But note: the text does not say God give will never give us more than we are able to handle. It says he does not give us more than we can handle ON OUR OWN. How else will our need for God manifest unless we are at our wits end?

My experience has shown me time and again that …Continue Reading

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The most well-known prayer of all, the Lord’s Prayer (from Matthew 6:9-13), has been such an inspiration to me over the years. As I pray through it each day, I’ve finally written down some reflections and decided to compile them here. Nothing technical or complicated. Just a few thoughts andContinue Reading

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When Carson’s 1st edition came out titled A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers I read it with eagerness and found his insights and exegesis transforming. My prayers were truly changed and I’ve continued to be impacted by what I learned. My series on prayer was developedContinue Reading

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Hands Pray

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The Scottish minister Robert Murray M’Cheyne (d. 1843) offers four important insights on various ways God answers our prayers. In his Fourth Pastoral Letter, titled “God the answerer of prayer,” M’Cheyne writes: First, God often gives the very thing his children ask at the very time they ask it. Second,Continue Reading

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Praying

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What is your first, most immediate response toward life’s difficulties? Truth be told, I would have to give two answers: 1) Resentment toward the fact of the difficulty with corresponding emotions such as irritation, frustration, or even anger and 2) Resolve to find the quickest solution to the problem so as to remove the difficulty.  Both ofContinue Reading

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