No one question has more clearly clarified my life’s purpose and securely aligned me with God’s will than that one question. True, it took me slowing down to recognize I was asking it. Yes, a pause was required to receive its answer. Yet, it is the one question that still till today holds me steadfast in my service to the Lord.

“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.” Renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon states in his “A Bottle in the Smoke” sermon on Psalm 119:83, raising awareness that followers of Messiah, Jesus, are not exempt from trials. Expect trials. Expect storms. Expect opposition.

“So then, because you are lukewarm…” The Laodiceans’ hearts deflate, their smiles fade, and their heads bow causing their eyes to fixate on the ground below. The Revelation 3:16 text does not provide us with this detail, but we all know the emotions and physical impact of hearing someone we love tell us something about ourselves contrary to our perception of self. The words fall heavy.

Hello Bride of Christ,

What response do we give when confronted? Do we respond or rather do we react? Are words of defense and justification found on the tips of our tongues? Or do words of excuse escape our mouths and roll off our lips like water rushing from a bubbling brook? Do we believe we are fallible and in need of a Savior? If so, why then are we surprised by our sin? If we believe we need a Savior, why then the practice of repentance remains a rare occurrence?

Over the last several decades, Barna Group Research asserts prayer is the most common spiritual practice among Americans. The content of these prayers consists primarily of gratitude and thanksgiving followed by the needs of our families or communities. As a result, modeling the prayers of Old and New Testament saints.