Month: December 2018

Praying through 2019

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I have known many who choose a word for each year.  It is something that they want to focus on throughout the new year.  This year I want to focus on prayer.  This is a lesson God has been teaching me for almost 5 years now.  I have thought about it, written some blog posts about, but I want to spend more time studying what God says about prayer.  After all, my blog is called Pleading in Prayer.  

James 5:16 is the verse I am using for this coming year. There is much theological debate about what prayer accomplishes. I do not take this lightly. Studying Scripture should be done carefully. My plan is to look at this passage and others throughout the year, carefully studying what God has to say.

Do you have a word or verse for 2019? Feel free to share that in the comments.

Christmas in the Present

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I pray you have a blessed Christmas.  We like to enjoy the time with family and friends, exchanging gifts, too many Christmas cookies and the list goes on. I hope you take the time to stop and remember Jesus and the true reason for Christmas.

We typically spend the month of December thinking about Christmas and all of the traditions that go with it.  However, I hope we remember who Jesus is all year long.  Don’t forget that the character traits the Bible tells about Jesus when He humbled Himself and came to earth as a baby are true all the time. 

The Lamb of God

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I was given this lamb ornament when I was a child.  I have often thought of this as visual for Jesus being the Lamb of God.  In Old Testament law, a perfect lamb had to be sacrificed for forgiveness of sin.  Jesus was born as a baby (the reason we celebrate Christmas) in order to grow up and be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.  

I love Christmas.  I enjoy putting up Christmas decorations, listening to and singing Christmas songs, and thinking about the joy and wonder of the season.  The most important piece of Christmas is to remember the purpose.  Jesus came, because we are sinners who cannot pay for our sin outside of suffering for eternity (read the book of Romans in the Bible). In order to pay this penalty for us, Jesus came to earth to be a man.  He lived a perfect life (the only man who ever could) so He could die for our sins.

I pray you have trusted in Jesus to save you from your sins.  If not, I pray you do today (2 Corinthians 6:2).

God is so good.