Category: Prayers

“If we have food and clothing we have all that we need.” —1 Timothy 6:8 The Bible says all we need is food to eat and clothes to wear (1 Tm 6:8). Very few Christians agree with this. Most feel they at least need a house for shelter, insurance for security, a car for transportation, a phone for communication, and Wifi for entertainment. What Americans consider a simple life is extravagant by biblical standards. The Bible considers the typical American lifestyle a “temptation and a trap” (1 Tm 6:9). By our lifestyle, we let ourselves “be captured by foolish and...

“That is why her many sins are forgiven – because of her great love.” –Luke 7:47 The penitent woman owed a large debt to God (Lk 7:43); she had committed “many sins” (Lk 7:47). Jesus “wrote off” her huge debt of sin; He forgave it all (Lk 7:42, 48). The woman’s response to being forgiven was a model for us all. She reformed her life, accepted the gift of saving faith (Lk 7:50), came directly to Jesus, and showered Him with love (Lk 7:45). Jesus told a story about another grievous sinner who owed a “huge amount” of debt to...

“And when perfected, He became the Source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.” ––Hebrews 5:9 Numerous well-meaning Christians don’t consider the Blessed Virgin Mary their mother. They may assume paying attention to Mary detracts from following Jesus. Often a verse from today’s Gospel of John is referenced to show the Blessed Mother is, in fact, our mother: “Seeing His mother there with the disciple whom He loved, Jesus said to His mother, ‘Woman, there is your son.’ In turn He said to the disciple, ‘There is your mother.’ From that hour onward, the disciple took her into his...

“I tell you, I have never found so much faith among the Israelites.” –Luke 7:9 Jesus is looking for faith (see Lk 18:8). He finds the faith He seeks in a Roman centurion, a man not a part of Israel, the People of God. Israel was covenanted to God as His “people” (see Jer 31:33). Jesus’ comment to the crowd implies that He has been seeking that level of faith among the People of God and has not yet found it (Lk 7:9). Instead, Jesus found that faith outside of God’s chosen, in the person of a Gentile Roman officer....