Reaching the Tweed Coast, Cobaki Lakes and the greater Gold and Tweed Coast region
connect
  • Home
    • Our Place
    • Foundations
  • Families Ministry
    • Top Spot on Sundays
    • Playgroup @TweedCCC
    • SWITCH- High School Group
    • Colour-in Competitions >
      • 2018 Christmas Colour-in Competition
      • 2018 Easter Colour in Competition
      • 2017 Christmas Colour in Competition
      • 2017 Easter Colour-in Competition
      • 2016 Christmas Colour-in Competition
  • Other Ministries
    • The Place
    • Food Bank
    • LOVEWORX
    • Second Chance Op Shop
    • Small Group Ministry
    • Over 50s Group
    • Missions
    • Men's Ministry
  • 2019 Messages
    • Archived Messages
  • Events
    • Special Events
    • Gallery
    • Church Refurbishment
  • Finding Real Hope
  • Connect
    • Blog >
      • Link Page
      • Book Reviews
    • Contact

Are you dissatisfied with your prayer life?

9/28/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Why do children have no trouble talking to God, speaking naturally and conversationally as with a friend, while you and I reluctantly mutter our prayers, stumbling over the words while we struggle with doubt? Someone has suggested that children spend more time looking up.

Whatever the reason, almost everyone at some time feels dissatisfied and inadequate and longs for healthy prayer life that is consistent, confident and genuine. Joe McKeever has written that, whether physical or spiritual, health and growth can only occur when everything is brought into balance. He recently wrote an article about 'our poor prayer life'; take a few moments to read it below.

….We do not know how to pray as we should…. (Romans 8:26)

I find it liberating to know that the great Apostle Paul was dissatisfied with his prayer life. At least, that’s how I read Romans 8:26. And if he could admit that “we do not know how to pray as we should,” it’s a dead-on cinch that you and I don’t either.

One thing almost everyone in your congregation has in common on a typical Sunday morning is a dissatisfaction with their prayer life. That is not to say that all are doing poorly, only that none of us feels we have got it down right, that we are praying with the effectiveness we’d like.

In this life, we are always going to be doing things partially. “We know in part,” Scripture says. “We prophecy in part” (I Corinthians 13:9,12).

Good music, they say, is music that is written better than it can be played. The Christian life is like that: written better than any of us can hope to attain in this life. The standard of God is still the same: “Be ye perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We will not attain it in this life, but that’s how it’s written. So with your prayer life. You and I mumble in our prayers, like a child still learning to talk. It frustrates us and disappoints us, but–do not miss this–is oddly pleasing to the Father in Heaven.

Here are seven statements about your (and my) poor praying….
1. Your poor praying is a fact.

You knew it and you feel it often. In fact, unless you are one in a thousand, the fact that your praying is so poor has sometimes discouraged you from even trying to speak to the Father. Oh, friend. I want you to know you are not the odd man out. We are all in the same boat.

You have lots of company, poor pray-er. The preacher with a half-century of proclamation under his belt still approaches the Throne of Grace like a beginner, still coming humbly almost as a newcomer. “Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling.”

Do not let this upset you or discourage you. Go forward.

Read more.....



0 Comments

Update from Australian Marriage Forum

9/21/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Just a quick update from the Australian Marriage Forum:
Thank you for participating in the campaign. This week’s decisive votes in the Parliament of Australia defeating same-sex marriage are a huge win.
First the House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 98-42 followed by the Senate yesterday 41-26. Please do not underestimate the power you have as concerned Australians to thank and encourage the parliamentarians who voted to uphold marriage.

 Read more here….


0 Comments

    Russell Hinds

    Church planting and growth has been a focus for most of my ministry. I frequently lecture and speak on church planting and have been actively involved in many church plants. Under God's hand and direction, my wife, Kaye, and I planted the
    church at Helensvale (Qld) and at Mudgeeraba. Using this church as a base, we have launched other church plants- Coomera, Palm Beach and  Pacific Pines, and  assisted a church plant quick-build in Georgia, USA
    .

    Archives

    September 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010

    Categories

    All
    App
    Book Reviews
    Children
    Christmas
    Church
    Communication
    Community
    Current Events
    Easter
    Family
    Leadership
    Movie Reviews
    Personal Growth
    Questions
    Sermon Series
    Tweed Coast

    RSS Feed

Photos used under Creative Commons from dcysurfer / Dave Young, Paulo Brandão, special JoeL, Ramotionblog, Randy Son Of Robert, lyng883, Gene Hunt, PBoGS, ogimogi, Brett Jordan, 2Tales, George Vnoucek, fdecomite, slagheap, p_c_w, bkusler