.bold.

I recently read the book The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. I definitely recommend it to anyone who desires to grow their prayer life. I have been learning this year how to pray. Often I fail at remembering to pray, but God has challenged me again lately to earnestly desire to have communication with him on a daily basis.

Last week in Bible study we learned that prayerlessness is a sin. I had never realized that before and it hit me like a ton of bricks! When I don’t pray, I loose an intimacy with God that I will never find in anyone else. When I don’t pray, I am basically telling God I don’t trust that he will answer my prayers. The only prayers that go unanswered are the ones which are never prayed.

The book focuses on the fact that bold prayers honor God and God honors bold prayers. We are going through this book on Wednesday nights at church and it has been a great reminder that I need to come back to daily communication with God and that I need to vamp up my prayer life. We were challenged last Wednesday to begin to write down our bold prayers in a journal for the next three weeks. I have begun to do that and have already seen some progress toward God’s glorifying answers.

Prayer is mentally exhausting, sometimes difficult, other times awkward, and often neglected. Is it time for you to come back in to an intimate relationship with your Father? Will you join me for the next 21 days in writing out bold prayers and watching God work? Bold prayers honor God and God honors bold prayers.

.paid in full.

Today I had the opportunity to attend the Good Friday service at church. It was a great reminder of what this weekend is all about and the gravity of Easter. Good Friday reminds us of the day that Jesus was betrayed, beaten, and crucified. Pastor Paul summed it up in such a unique way that I wanted to share.

Think of all the sins you have committed today. Now think of all the sins everyone in  your city have committed today. Expand that thought a little more and think of all the sins committed in America today. Go a little further and think of all the sins committed in the world today. And this is simply one day! Now think of all the sins of all humanity of all time–past, present, and future.

Romans 6:23 informs us that the wages of sin is death. Even if I lived my entire life and committed only one sin, I would still have to pay for that sin by dying. But God desired so much to forgive us that he sent his son to die in our place. His death satisfied the wages due for all humanity for all time. Jesus took the full wrath of God in our place!

Can you imagine the agony Jesus felt as he hung on the cross? I will probably never be able to fully understand the extent of the wrath that Jesus endured. He experienced what I deserved. But praise God that even before I was born, he loved me enough to provide a way for me to have a restored relationship with him.

This morning at the service we sang the beautiful hymn “How Deep the Father’s Love.” I want to share the lyrics with you. May they remind you of why we celebrate Easter and how passionately God desires to forgive you and call you his child.

How deep the Father’s love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure.

 

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen one,

Bring many sons to glory.

 

Behold the Man upon the cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers.

 

It was my sin that left Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished.

 

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom.

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection.

 

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom.