John Piper comments on Daniel 10-12, in a sermon, “Angels and Prayer”: But the point is this: Daniel’s praying was not about angels. And probably ours shouldn’t be either. We should wrestle in prayer and fasting for the things that we know are God’s will in our lives and our families and our church and … More Angels and Prayer
John Piper, on the prayer of Daniel in Daniel chapter 9: Look how the prayer comes to its climax in verses 18b–19: “We do not present our supplications before thee on the ground of our righteousness but on the ground of thy great mercy. 19) O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, give heed and act; … More Appeal to God’s Zeal for the Glory of His Own Name
John Piper, in a sermon, “Daniel’s Defiance of Darius in Prayer” (Daniel 6) Verse 10 just takes your breath away. Here is where I get the insight that Daniel’s prayer was daring and defiant and disciplined. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in … More Six Expressions of Daring Dependence
John Piper, in a sermon “The Elders, the People, and the Prayer of Faith” In James 5:13–18 we see at least three kinds of praying not just one. And all three of them are ways of praying for people who are sick or suffering in some way. You can’t use this text to say there … More Three Kinds of Praying in James 5
Ray Stedman on Jeremiah 20-22: In our last study, in Jeremiah 20, we were, historically speaking, in the fourth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim in Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, for the first time brought his armies up against Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar made several expeditions against the city before it was finally overthrown … More Heavenly Genie or Sovereign Lord?
Proverbs 15:8, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. John Piper, in a sermon, “The Pleasure of God in the Prayers of the Upright” My hope is that the effect of this message will not only be that you feel encouraged to … More Prayer Pleases God!
How prone are we to self-deception? Are we really able to be honest with ourselves as we talk with God? Do we remember daily the true source of our righteousness? Remember me with favor, O my God (Nehemiah 13:31b). Some people think this sounds self-serving, that Nehemiah is concerned that God is going to forget … More Remember Me
John Piper asks: Now how does Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:1–8 encourage us to keep on praying earnestly when prayer week is over? A widow comes to an unjust judge and pleads for help. She is being oppressed unjustly and wants him to use his authority to seek her relief. That’s us, the widow. Weak, … More Wearing out the Judge?
The Setting of Nehemiah’s Covenant Reaffirmation About 445 BC Nehemiah had brought a group of Israelites from captivity in Persia back to Jerusalem, and with them had rebuilt the walls of the city in spite of tremendous opposition from surrounding peoples. The wall is completed at the end of chapter 6. Chapter 7 gives the … More Nehemiah 9: Inexhaustible Grace
John Piper, in a sermon, “Wonderful Things From Your Word” Consider 2 Timothy 2:7. The NASB has “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” Literally it is, “Think about (noei) what I say.” Does this mean that understanding Paul’s teaching is simply a human, natural enterprise of thinking? No. The … More But don’t replace thinking with praying. Think and pray. Pray and think.
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 