Paul is stating that believing in Christ starts a process within us which alters our hearts, minds and lives. And the beautiful result is that we grow more and more like the Lord Himself. The Apostle saw this as something to embrace and to celebrate.

Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with God. He delights in being with us, hearing our joys and burdens, thoughts and questions, and revealing more of Himself. Believers who want to develop a more powerful prayer life will find no better example to learn from than God’s Son, Jesus.

The prayer life of Jesus was vibrant and varied. He spent time lifting up His private concerns, while also using prayer to bless and teach others He encountered. And prayer went far beyond ritual for Him – it was a way to express heartfelt worship to His Father.

Jesus’ prayers reflect a great need of, and devotion to, God. And He wanted His Disciples to see how essential the habit of prayer was for their faith. His words should inspire Christians today as well.

How Jesus Prayed

In the Bible, Jesus shows a prayer attitude that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father. The term He often used toward God, “Abba,” describes the sense of intimacy that a child has for a father. And the word also implies a desire to obey the Father. Scripture says that since we, too, are children of God, we should approach our Heavenly Father the same way.

“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Galatians 4:6).

And here are some ways we can model our prayers after Jesus:

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From the earliest accounts of David’s life, we see a young man who was devoted to his Lord. This mindset might have wavered as he experienced trials and even tragedies, but it didn’t falter. Even later, wearied by burdens and old age, David still sought the blessing and comfort that only God could provide.

God has helped me see that changes are a natural part of life, and that He uses them to help me grow. In fact, He wants to walk through the process with me, and indeed with all believers, offering comfort and anointing that will help us move forward confidently into new adventures.

The Bible, sometimes called “a manual for life,” is filled with wisdom for every married couple. Within its pages, we’ll discover God’s call for us as husbands and wives and the mind and heart-set to love our spouse well.

God wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge” of Him (2 Peter 3:18). He invites us to seek His wisdom and even provides us with the perfect resource to find it. For within the pages of His Word, God delights in revealing Himself to us.

The Bible contains a wonderful variety of subject matter, language and writing styles. And in every book of it, the Lord has guided the authors to write lessons, teachings or narratives to help us understand Him better. 

On every page we can find truths that will start to align our hearts and minds with His. Scripture study then becomes a wonderful treasure hunt to discover what He wants us to learn. Let’s take a look at 7 ways God reveals Himself to us in Scripture.

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Traditional hymns offer us both musical richness, and lyrics that teach and encourage. Some directly quote Scripture, while others use verses as the basis of the message. And they all remind us of truths about God. Each song can actually become a mini-Bible study.

Some hymn writers have described the emotions that well up within their own hearts as they think of the Lord. And one of the strongest of these feelings is joy, because this deep gladness has the power to shift our thoughts and attitudes in a more positive direction that will impact not only us, but those around us.

Listening to or singing hymns brings to mind the many reasons we have to be joyful in the Lord. And studying related Scripture verses helps us to learn more about our Heavenly Father. Here are 10 well-known and loved hymns, along with some verses to read, that can all inspire us to “rejoice in the Lord, and be glad…” (Psalm 32:11).

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Approaching our online communications correctly can honor God. How? By choosing to treat others the way God calls us to, we are walking in obedience to His Ways. When this becomes a habit, our faith life grows stronger in the process.

Jesus spent His whole time here on Earth living in community. He was born into the society of Jews that included His family and others in the region. And later during His ministry He created another, more select group made up of people who loved God and wanted to learn more about Him. And in each of His communities, Jesus set the standard for living righteously with, and for, one another.

Throughout the New Testament Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) we see Jesus spending His days in fellowship with His Apostles, celebrating, mourning, and worshiping right alongside them. He continued in and even built on what God had already instructed the Jewish nation.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).

What Jesus modeled for His Apostles became a central part of their message to the young church: that the way Christians live in community can glorify God and inspire the world. And that truth is still vitally important today.

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"The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays." - Søren Kierkegaard

All throughout history, people have turned to prayer to deal with tests and hardships. Men and women from all walks of life have found comfort, strength and guidance by lifting up their concerns to God.

Here is a collection of 10 prayers that reach for something more. Each reflects a deep desire to not only receive God’s blessings, but to become a blessing to others. And every one of them reminds us that God will make us able and ready to do that. 

Let’s allow these prayers to inspire us to grow in our faith and to live more like Christ.

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Meditating on the ultimate gift God has given us - His Son, sent to be our Savior - grows a sense of joy within us. And that joy will keep us focused on the most meaningful things about this time of year.

God’s vision for the church, both then and today, is so much richer than a to-do list. The practices of early church leaders and congregations give us a glimpse of the power that walking in faith together can have on individuals and communities.

True accountability starts with accepting that we are all imperfect. It demands that we be honest enough with ourselves to receive correction, or to speak the truth in love to others when it’s needed. Approached that way, while it might sting in the moment, accountability will bring us more joy and deeper faith.

Our Heavenly Father has actually provided some examples of these prophets, and how to recognize when one could be in our midst. These are not meant to make us paranoid about the intentions of others, but to encourage us to be alert if we hear or see something that makes us uneasy.