The art of prayer: How to unleash its power



As Christians, we should know what we owe to our fellow Jesus followers — “one another” as the Bible calls us.

Before we can effectively love our neighbor — “neighbor” in this context meaning those not yet a part of the family of God — we need to understand the importance of how we interact with our brethren in Christ.

Paul’s prayers center on one thing: that believers may become more and more like Christ, growing into spiritual powerhouses.

Obviously, we are to love one another. We are to model the early church as it is described to us in Acts. We are to mindfully learn and apply all the “one anothers” the Bible gives us. We are to speak truth in love to one another (and others, as well).

One of the most powerful ways to love one another is to diligently pray for one another (James 5:16). And one of the most powerful ways to accomplish that is to pray scripture for them.

This is nothing new. After all, many of us have been praying the Lord’s Prayer, which is straight out of scripture, for much of our lives. Many psalms also lend themselves to prayer and worship. Much scripture has been set to music so that we can pray in song, as well.

But when it comes to powerfully praying for our brethren, the apostle Paul was a master. In God-breathed letters to at least three churches — the Colossians, the Philippians, and the Ephesians — he tells his flock exactly how he’s praying for them.

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians

Colossians 1:9-12:

For this reason also, since the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

What a magnificent prayer! In a few short lines, Paul asked God that the Colossians might:

  • Be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding: This is a wonderful starting place for praying for your fellow believers — that they understand and wisely follow God’s will for their lives.
  • Walk worthy of God, pleasing Him in every way

And then he prayed specifically for how they could do that:

  • Bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God: These two categories are what should comprise our day-to-day existence! Knowing Him and making Him known. Sitting at His feet daily, and serving Him wholeheartedly.
  • Be strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, to attain perseverance and patience: Paul recognized that persevering and being patient only come through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit within us and are important enough to merit their own mention in his prayer.
  • Joyously thank the Father, who has qualified us to share in His inheritance of our fellow saints in light: Here, he prays for his fellow believers to be filled with joy and gratitude, looking up to what lies ahead.

If you’re praying for the believers in your life to understand God’s will, walk worthy and please Him, bear fruit and know Him better, be strengthened In God’s power, and joyously give thanks — you’re on target.

Again, this was a prayer for a specific group of people from Paul. But because it is recorded in holy scripture, we know this prayer is God-breathed. What a privilege to be able to pray this exact prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can do that in general, praying for all our fellow disciples this way.

But it is perhaps more meaningful to actually write out this prayer for a specific brother or sister, by name.

For example:

Lord, I continually ask You to fill Anna with the knowledge of Your will in spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that she will walk worthy of You and please You in every way — bearing fruit in every good work and growing in her knowledge of You. Please strengthen her with all power, according to Your glorious might, so she may obtain great perseverance and patience. And help her joyfully thank You, who has qualified us both to share in the inheritance of Your saints in the kingdom of light.

Praying this way ignites my spirit. We know that when we pray in alignment with God’s will, He acts. How amazing that He’s given us scripture like this that demonstrates, in a very practical way, how He would have us pray for the “one anothers” with whom He has blessed us.

Bonus question: How might you adapt this prayer for your unbelieving friends?

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians

Another rich prayer is recorded for us in Philippians 1:3-6:

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.

This is a good reminder to thank God for the Jesus followers He’s brought into our lives — and to start any prayer for them by expressing our gratitude for the blessings they bring to us.

Note also the attitude he brings to his prayer time for them. He is mindful of their “participation in the gospel” — he is mindful that they are walking the same path as he is — and this brings him joy.

His next thought is a verse we often quote as a reminder that “God isn’t finished with us yet.” Isn’t it interesting that he put it right here in a prayer for them? Almost like he wanted to remind himself that no matter what mistakes and stumbles he might have to address, these beloved friends were a work in progress, in the process of being sanctified.

In other words, they were people deserving of his grace, too. Another good reminder.

But the real meat of his prayer for them is found in verses 9-11:

And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.

That our love may overflow ... in real knowledge and discernment. What do those two things have to do with love?

As for knowledge: Our agape love for our brothers and sisters does not spring from some sort of flowery sentimentality. It springs from scriptural truth. Scripture is what defines love, so we can’t love well without that knowledge. Again, we speak the truth in love and love others well with truth — always.

As for discernment: It turns out love is not blind, after all. The Greek word used here for "discernment" is where we get our English word “aesthetic,” which as John MacArthur notes, speaks of moral perception, insight, and practical application of knowledge. “Love is not blind,” he says, “but perceptive, and it carefully scrutinizes to distinguish between right and wrong.”

That biblical, perceptive love is what Paul wants overflowing in believers. Why?

So that we can discover what things are excellent. This is about developing keen perception, distinguishing between which things are worthy of our time and which are hindrances. And what does this pursuit of excellent things net us?

It means we are sincere and blameless as we transition out of this world and into our heavenly reward in glory with Jesus. It means that in this life, we are filled with thefruitof righteousness, again as a result of Jesus’ work. And what is the purpose of those results? The glory and praise of God.

Don’t we all want someone praying these things for us? So let us pray them for one another — wholeheartedly and personally.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 1 is a magnificent chapter, and I encourage you to read it right now. Paul’s first prayer for the Ephesians comes toward the end of that chapter:

Ephesians 1:15-19a:

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe.

This is such a rich passage. Paul is telling the Ephesians that when he mentions them in his prayers, he does so with continuous gratitude for them — due to their exemplary faith, evidenced by their love for one another.

And then he goes on to tell them what he asks God for, on their behalf:

  • Wisdom: The ability to take knowledge and put it into action, or in other words, how to live well in God’s world. This is an attribute we should diligently seek always. The first nine chapters of Proverbs make a powerful argument for this pursuit.
  • Revelation in the knowledge of Him: This is the continuing learning process (“revelation”) that we undergo as we learn more about God through immersion in His Word.
  • Enlightened “eyes of the heart”

That last one means seeing God clearly with a spiritually enlightened mind, which results in knowledge of three life-changing truths:

  • The truth of the hope of His calling: a confident understanding of the hope He provides His children, and a grasp of what awaits us.
  • The truth of the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints: again, starting to grasp the immense and glorious riches that are ours as His saints.
  • The truth of the boundless power of His greatness toward us who believe.

I love what John MacArthur says about this last point:

God’s great power, that very power which raised Jesus from the dead and lifted Him by ascension back to glory to take His seat at God’s right hand, is given to every believer at the time of salvation and is always available. Paul therefore did not pray that God’s power be given to believers, but that they be aware of the power they already possessed in Christ and use it. — MacArthur Study Bible (notes)

That’s really the point of Paul’s prayer for enlightened eyes of the heart: that we be aware of what God in Christ has already given us — and then we use it.

This is indeed an immensely powerful prayer that we can personalize for our brothers and sisters. And there’s nothing wrong with asking our brothers and sisters to pray this for us, too.

But Paul had one more spectacular prayer for his beloved Ephesian church. It is one of the most beautiful passages in all his letters (and there are a lot of beautiful passages, to be sure):

Ephesians 3:14-19:

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

Praying this sublime language is an act of worship in itself, since it includes such a marvelous depiction of God’s unquestioned authority.

But let’s look at what Paul is asking God to grant the Ephesians here “according to the riches of His glory,” which again are available to every Christ-follower:

  • That God would grant them strength, derived from the power of the Holy Spirit within each individual, so that Christ dwells in their hearts through faith. In other words, that we would please Him by keeping our hearts clean through the power of His Spirit as we submit to His lordship.
  • That God would grant them the state of being rooted and grounded in love — the self-sacrificial agape love given for us by Him, that we are to freely share.
  • That God would grant them comprehension (awareness and understanding), along with all the other saints, of the vast immensity of the love of Christ, which surpasses simple head knowledge. We can’t know this kind of love without being His children.

Knowing all of this leads to being filled with the fullness of God. It leads to spiritual strength as we discipline our minds and spirits to study, understand, and live by God’s word through His Spirit’s power — increasingly, as we mature in Him.

Quoting my friend Dr. MacArthur one more time:

Although the outer, physical person becomes weaker with age, the inner, spiritual person should grow stronger through the Holy Spirit, who will energize, revitalize, and empower the obedient, committed Christian.

But wait — there’s more

Here are a few more of Paul’s prayers that you can personalize for those you are bringing to God’s throne room:

Paul’s prayers center on one thing: that believers may become more and more like Christ, growing into spiritual powerhouses. That is why these passages are so powerful when we pray them for each other, by name, specifically.

Let’s love one another by praying this way.

This article was adapted from an essay originally published on Diane Schrader's Substack, She Speaks Truth.

Old boxes, open hearts, and a little divine timing



My suburban town has a waste drop-off center where residents can take items that don’t belong in the regular trash — things like chemicals, corrugated cardboard, and certain recyclables. I gladly hand over my aluminum and metal cans, which actually have some raw material value, in exchange for unloading the mountain of cardboard boxes I seem to collect.

The center also runs a moving-box exchange: new arrivals can drop off their flattened boxes, and anyone is free to take what they need. It’s one of those small civic gestures that, in theory at least, make a town feel like a community.

‘I think you might be an angel,’ she said. ‘Ma’am,’ I laughed, ‘I can assure you I’m not. You can call my wife and confirm.’

It’s also where I witnessed two moments I’ll never forget.

The first came just after my wife and I had moved from another state. We’d been through an ugly incident — one that left her physically hurt, shaken, and furious. I tried to console her, though I was rattled myself. More than anything, she felt afraid. She didn’t know a soul in our new town. She felt alone.

Still, life had to go on. We were setting up our new home, and on that Saturday afternoon we loaded the car with flattened moving boxes and headed to the drop-off center. After unloading the last one, I placed my hand gently on her back as we turned toward the car. Her face was heavy with sorrow, her body slack with grief.

As we neared our vehicle, a man and woman — both around 60 by my guess — walked toward us. The woman gently placed her hand on my wife’s arm and asked, “May we pray for you?”

The man explained that they had noticed her pain and wanted to offer her comfort through prayer. My wife, still shaken but open, nodded yes.

They each rested a hand on her shoulders. Without knowing a single detail of what had happened, they prayed. They asked God to bring her peace. They prayed for strength to carry the weight she was bearing. They asked that she feel God’s presence — that she know she wasn’t alone.

And then my wife began to cry.

These two complete strangers embraced her while she wept. In that moment, something shifted. Her healing had begun.

Afterward, my wife and I reflected on that moment. If angels walk among us, we agreed, they must look something like that couple.

About a year later, we had new neighbors whose garage was overflowing with empty boxes. As they unpacked, I offered to take the pile to the waste station while running errands. They accepted, and we broke the boxes down and loaded them into my SUV.

At the drop-off station, I noticed an elderly woman struggling with a single flattened moving box, trying unsuccessfully to wedge it into the back seat of her small Nissan. I approached and joked that she either needed a smaller box or a bigger car.

I offered to fold the flaps or crease the cardboard to help it fit, but she waved me off — it wasn’t worth the trouble, she said.

She explained that she’d heard about the moving box exchange and came to see what she could find. But she didn’t need just one box — she needed dozens. She was moving out of the home she’d lived in for decades, the house where she and her late husband had raised their children. They were all grown now and had moved out of state. It was time, she said, to downsize and move closer to one of them.

“It’s all so overwhelming,” she said. “I don’t even know where to begin. But I know I’ll need a lot of boxes — so much is being given away or won’t be packed by the movers.”

I nodded toward my vehicle, packed with dozens of flattened moving boxes, and said, “Let’s skip the middleman. I’ll bring these straight to your house.”

She hesitated with the usual “I hate to impose,” but eventually accepted. I followed her a couple of miles to her home.

As I carried the boxes inside and stacked them in a corner, her tone turned serious.

“Why were you at the waste station?” she asked.

“To drop off these boxes,” I replied.

“No, I mean why were you there at that exact moment? And why did you approach me?”

“Just timing,” I said.

“I think you might be an angel,” she said.

“Ma’am,” I laughed, “I can assure you I’m not. You can call my wife and confirm.”

She handed me some strapping tape, and I assembled a dozen boxes, showing her how to do it easily.

Before leaving, I scribbled my name and number on a slip of paper.

“Call if you need more boxes,” I said, “or help with anything else.”

As I walked out, she asked again, “Are you sure you’re not an angel?”

“I promise you I’m not,” I said. “But I’m pretty sure they hang out at the waste drop-off center. That’s where my wife and I met a couple of angels once.”

Ross Douthat Makes The Case For Finding Faith

Even if there is a pathway for moving from doubt to belief in a higher power, is it worth doing?

New Campaign Urges Daily Prayer For Couples Struggling With Infertility

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-21-at-4.05.29 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-21-at-4.05.29%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]Though many local churches pray over parishioners longing for children, the EveryLife campaign is a uniquely public display of support.

Satan's target: Confronting the spiritual battle threatening your pastor



Is your pastor biblically unqualified? Then that situation pleases the devil while at the same time displeasing God.

But if your pastor is biblically qualified, then you should know that Satan hates him. Godly, qualified pastors are a particular source of demonic rage.

Ministry is spiritual warfare, and the God-hating devil takes aim at the leaders of Christ’s churches.

Let’s think about a few lines from 1 Timothy 3 that point to the devil’s plans. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Paul tells Timothy about the qualifications for church leaders (called “overseers” in 3:1, a term synonymous with “pastors” or “elders”). In 3:6, the leader “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” In 3:7, “he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”

In back-to-back verses, Paul mentions the devil, and this observation reminds us that pastoral ministry is spiritual warfare.

According to 1 Timothy 3:6, a pastor must not be a recent convert. A recent convert lacks the maturity and wisdom necessary for pastoral ministry. Moral steadfastness is vital for being qualified for ministry, and such steadfastness becomes evident over time. While a convert may become qualified for ministry at a later time, the timing has not arrived as long as the adjective “recent” still applies.

Self-conceit can grip the heart of a recent convert who is thrust into the responsibilities of pastoral ministry. And then the pastor may “fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6). What is the role of the of here? Is this the condemnation which the devil will experience? Or is this some kind of condemnation that the devil gives? We know that the devil will be condemned (Revelation 20:10), but we also know that this pastor is called a “recent convert” — and converts are not condemned to hell.

Probably, then, this “condemnation of the devil” is “condemnation from the devil,” some kind of accusatory and defamatory activity from the devil against the pastor. Why would the devil act against the pastor in accusatory ways? In order to disgrace the pastor. And a recent convert may be especially vulnerable to the snares of pride and conceit.

In 1 Timothy 3:7, the potential pastor must be well thought of by outsiders. This requirement is “so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” Looking at this purpose statement, we can see that “disgrace” is the devil’s snare that’s in view. If people outside the church could make legitimate accusations about a pastor’s character to show that he isn’t above reproach, then this compromised character will lead to the pastor’s disgrace.

The devil wants pastors to be disqualified and disgraced. The pastor lives a public life, so a pastor’s disgrace has public ramifications. We’ve all seen the headlines of ministers who have a moral failing, and the aftermath is brutal. It’s sorrowful for the pastor’s family, for the pastor’s church, and for those beyond the church who become aware of the moral failing.

The devil knows that a disgraced pastor will dishearten people, and discouragement is a vital tool in the enemy’s arsenal. He wants people to think of the gospel as untrue or, at least, as powerless. He wants people to wonder why they should bother with church when church leaders can be untrustworthy or hypocritical.

The devil also knows that a disgraced pastor emboldens the enemies of Christ. Rather than being discouraged, some people seize upon every story of moral failing and leverage it for their own ends. They may want to spread it like wildfire because they love juicy bits of gossip. They may want to stoke suspicion of organized religion. A pastor’s disgrace becomes fuel for devilish ambitions.

Ministry is spiritual warfare, and the God-hating devil takes aim at the leaders of Christ’s churches. The snare of their disgrace has the potential for widespread damage to the churches and lives of Christ’s people. Pray for your pastor, because Satan hates your pastor.

This essay was originally published at Dr. Mitchell Chase's Substack, Biblical Theology.

How A Former Atheist’s Letters To God Changed The Way I Pray

With a penetrating gaze reaching deep inside his own soul, Hill touches a universal nerve of all humanity: a desperate need for God.

JD Vance delivers heartfelt remarks about Pope Francis despite past political differences



Vice President JD Vance delivered magnanimous remarks about Pope Francis during the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Friday despite the pope's past criticism of the Trump administration.

Francis previously expressed disapproval of President Donald Trump's immigration policy, saying deportations "[damage] the dignity" of immigrants and "[place] them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness." Although Vance reaffirmed his stance on immigration, he also emphasized his respect for Francis and the Catholic Church, particularly as the pope endures numerous health complications.

'I believe that the pope is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership.'

"I'm not counseling all of you, but I don't think it's good for us as Christians to constantly fight with one another over every single controversy in the church," Vance said. "Sometimes we should let this stuff play out, live our faith as best we can, under the dictates of our faith and under the dictates of our spiritual leaders, but not hold them to the standards of social media influencers, because they're not."

Vance clarified that although there are political differences within the faith, it's more important to remain unified as Catholics.

"As you've probably seen publicly, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has criticized some of our policies when it comes to immigration," Vance said. "Again, my goal here is not to litigate with him about who's right and who's wrong."

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

"I think that it's not in the best interest of us again to treat the religious leaders of our faith as just another social media influencer," Vance continued. "And I think, frankly, that goes both ways. If I can be so bold, I think it's incumbent upon our religious leaders to recognize that in the era of social media, people will hang on every single word that they utter, even if that wasn't their intention and even if a given declaration isn't meant for consumption in the social media age."

Rather than nitpicking at every statement and every conflict the pope is involved in, Vance insisted that Francis is more concerned with the health of his church and the Catholics under his leadership.

'Some of our media and some of our social media influencers and even some of us fellow Catholics, I think, are trying to bring the Holy Father into every culture war battle in American politics.'

"But every day, since I heard of Pope Francis' illness, I say a prayer for the Holy Father," Vance said. "Because while yes, I was surprised when he criticized our immigration policy in the way that he has ... I believe that the pope is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership. And he's a man who cares about the spiritual direction of the faith."

Vance put forth a more charitable understanding of the pope and his role, reminding those who may disagree with him to pray for him regardless, particularly as Francis' health is in jeopardy.

"And I say this because every day, me and my children have said a prayer for the Holy Father, and we pray for his health, and we present comfort as he deals with what appears to be a pretty serious health crisis," Vance added. "And while yes, some of our media and some of our social media influencers and even some of us fellow Catholics, I think, are trying to bring the Holy Father into every culture war battle in American politics, I will always remember the Holy Father, whether he makes his way through this illness, and I certainly hope that he does."

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Spiritual warfare 101: What every Christian needs to know



There is a backstory to the Bible. Behind the scenes of Scripture, a cosmic battle is being waged between God and Satan, between good and evil, light and darkness, the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world.

This battle began sometime in ages past, when an angelic being called Lucifer rose up in rebellion against God. Before there was rebellion on earth and sin in the Garden of Eden, there was revolt in heaven. Isaiah gives us a glimpse of what happened before time as we know it began. Lucifer, the beautiful angel of light, became the angel and prince of darkness and was removed from the heavenly hosts, along with one-third of the angelic beings, who joined him in this rebellion. This is when the war of the ages was launched (Isaiah 14:12-14).

And this is how the devil became the devil, a powerful spiritual opponent to God and his kingdom. The devil is often characterized as a cartoonish character dressed in a red suit with horns, carrying a pitchfork and living in hell. He’s viewed by many as just a myth or as a misunderstood medieval figure who doesn’t literally exist.

You may have been told that Satan is only a symbol of evil, but the Bible — our only authoritative source of truth on the subject — tells us the devil is a real being, the enemy and the adversary of followers of Christ. The devil “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and his name means slanderer or accuser. Stu Weber says, “Know it or not, like it or not, you and I are in a war, and we need to begin living as if we were in a battle for our lives, because in fact we are."

The New Testament is filled with scriptures that warn us of this war, not to scare us but to prepare us to fight spiritual battles. The most well known of these passages is Ephesians 6:10-12: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

We Christians are commanded to be soldiers in God’s army, strong and courageous and victorious in spiritual battle. Our strength for the battle is not our own, but God’s mighty power at work in us.

We’ve been given spiritual weapons for spiritual warfare and are equipped to win. We’re to put on the whole armor of God and take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). The word Paul uses to describe this sword is machaira, which is a short, dagger-like blade made for hand-to-hand combat. It is sharp and deadly in that it pierces the heart. Again, I reiterate Hebrews 4:12, which says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Satan and his demonic minions are no match for the word of God, and they are run through by the sword of the Spirit.

Jesus proved this in the wilderness when Satan tempted him and he used God’s word to ward off the attacks. When trials and temptations come, when Satan attacks you, be ready to defeat him with Scripture, the sword of the Spirit. Satan is overcome when we, like Jesus, use God’s word against him. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Once you read the Bible through, you’ll notice that it is a book filled with battles throughout the history of Israel. God’s chosen people are commanded to take those territories rightfully belonging to them, and even to this day, the Jewish people continue to fight for their survival.

In these battles of the Old Testament, God often raised up champions and spiritual heroes who, according to Paul, would be examples to us. In Hebrews 11, we meet the heroes who inspire and motivate us as Bible-believing Christians. Consequently, we love God’s people of Israel and prayerfully support their right to exist and to flourish in the land God has given them. Through the Jewish people, God gave us the Bible and our Messiah, the Lord Jesus. This is a thread that runs throughout the scriptures.

Satan’s tactics

The word Satan means “adversary” or “oppressor.” Satan hates and attacks everything and everyone God loves. He is deceptive and dangerous, and he means to destroy you, your family, your faith, and your friends. He inflicts pain and suffering and unleashes hate and hell upon the world. He uses doubt, disappointment, and deceit, and he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

As Christians, we must take this ruthless enemy and our spiritual warfare seriously. Unfortunately, too many don’t seem to realize that we’re living in a war zone, and they risk becoming casualties due to their ignorance.

When we live according to God’s word, we become better equipped for spiritual battle, just as Paul tells us in Ephesians 6. Never forget that the Bible is both trustworthy and authoritative. As you wield the sword of the Spirit (the Bible) in spiritual warfare, you can be sure that “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed” (Isaiah 54:17). You have the mighty power of God’s word at your disposal. For the weapons of our warfare are not human (2 Corinthians 10:4); the word of God in connection with the Spirit of God is your superpower.

When I preach God’s word, it is with the power of the Holy Spirit. I’m engaging in spiritual battle and taking souls from enemy territory.

What is true for me is true for you. When you share your faith in Jesus, when you share the gospel of Christ, you’re in a spiritual battle and are defeating the enemy. Revelation 12:11 says, “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Our testimony is the word of God and the power of his blood to save us, which is the message of the Bible.

I’ve seen God’s word save the lost, comfort the saved, penetrate the darkness of the devil’s domain, and destroy the strongholds of addiction, setting captives free. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). So put on the armor of God, sharpen your sword, and get in the battle, knowing that “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

The battlefield for warfare is prayer, so take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17-18). There’s an inseparable connection between prayer and God’s word, which we can see in Acts 6:4 as the leaders of the early church gave themselves to the word of God and to prayer. Jesus promised, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

When we pray according to God’s word, we are praying in alignment with God’s will; our prayers will be informed and inspired by the Bible. The power of his word, together with its principles and promises, guarantees our spiritual victory.

Victory in Christ

Whatever comes against us from the world, the flesh, and the devil is no match for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. When you know the Bible, you’ll be certain of the outcome of this war that has been raging for so long. God has promised us victory and has already given it to us.

I have a T- shirt that says Jesus Won across its front — not “Jesus Wins” or “He Will Win.” Jesus already won, as the enemy, Satan, was defeated at the cross. In Christ we have victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell. The victory that Christ has won is now ours.

I read an interview in the Wall Street Journal that featured the famous novelist John Grisham. It described his habits and personal disciplines of writing, which allow him to produce at least one book per year. I was interested to discover that he writes the last chapters of his stories first. Similarly, we have read the last chapters of God’s word, so we know how this story ends. When Jesus died on the cross, he exclaimed, “It is finished.” Tetelestai. This doesn’t mean, however, that he was finished — he was far from finished. No, Satan was finished, and the work of salvation was accomplished at the cross.

When you know the victory is complete, you can begin living with a new perspective. You can anticipate the day when you will lay down your sword because the battle is over, and you’ll celebrate for all of eternity. Your victory is in Jesus.

No wonder the apostle Paul, though facing execution, was able to say he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which was far better: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

This essay is adapted from "The Jesus Book" by Jack Graham ©2024. Used by permission of Bethany House and Baker Publishing Group.

Seeking lasting Valentine’s romance? Try praying together



This Valentine’s Day, here’s something to consider about romance: Cupid’s arrow lasts far longer if it’s coated in faith and daily prayer.

While this might sound less thrilling or passionate than moonlit smooches or intimate fireplace cottage getaways, Harvard School of Public Health found a 50% reduction in divorce for those couples regularly attending religious services.

Given the hostile takeover of our counseling industry by secular 'experts,' it’s worth asking: Does botched, secular marriage counseling drive couples apart?

The American Journal of Family Therapy reported couples’ prayer reduces martial conflict, and several other studies confirm prayer bonds couples tightly.

This makes intuitive sense. Prayer is an emotionally intimate act. It’s pouring out the vulnerabilities of our souls, expressing our deepest gratitude and needs. While there are no Christian theological grounds for belief in one true soulmate, there’s strong evidence that engaging in prayer with a spouse who deeply cares for your soul can be a true soulmate.

Valentine’s Day has been hijacked into a nearly $28 billion affair, with superficial consumerism trumping deeper connection. Too often, we spend more time wining and dining — nothing wrong with those of course, within reason — than cultivating the substantive soul ties that last beyond chocolate boxes, champagne toasts, and rose petals.

It is a social travesty that every marriage counseling session does not recommend daily prayer. It could save shattering heartache, broken families, and childhood suffering, not to mention costly legal bills (estimated to average $30,000 for lawyering up in a divorce, per the Marriage Foundation).

The societal cost of broken families is enormous, especially when parents become single, further straining our bloated $1.6 trillion welfare social safety net. Single parenthood is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, factors linked to welfare use.

But sadly, our counseling industry is devoid of spiritual understanding and has been taken over by secularists who deny God’s healing power. For example, Sociology of Religion reported that psychologists are the least religious of professors, with 61% reporting themselves atheist (50%) or agnostic (11%). This is nearly the exact opposite of what people actually believe. Gallup found that 81% of Americans believe in God. Thus, we’re being fed “solutions” to deep, soul-filled problems by people who quite often don’t even believe in souls.

This negatively impacts marriages. American divorces skyrocketed as our country secularized.

Scholars Brad Wilcox from the University of Virginia, Amy Burdette from Florida State, and Christopher Ellison from University of Texas-San Antonio also note in the Journal of Marriage and Family that couples who attend church together “are significantly less likely than others to use drugs, to have conflicts over sexual infidelity, or to experience domestic violence.” They also have better parent-child relationships.

Psychiatric Times published a literature review of hundreds of studies, which found significantly less depression and substance abuse among religious people. Both women and men attending weekly religious services are significantly less likely to die “deaths of despair” — suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol poisoning — according to research from Harvard University's School of Public Health led by professor Tyler VanderWeele, a devout Catholic whom the left tried to cancel for sharing his views on traditional marriage.

Staying married significantly shields our mental health. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, along with numerous other places, notes that men and women who are divorced are significantly more likely to die by suicide than married people. The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Healthreported that divorced and separated men were nearly 2.4 times more likely to kill themselves than their married counterparts.

The Good Book had it right: “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6 is Jesus commanding Christians in a passage about marriage. Given the hostile takeover of our counseling industry by secular “experts” who are clueless about integrating God into their treatments, it’s worth asking: Does botched, secular marriage counseling drive couples apart?

Couples who pray together stay together. This Valentine’s Day, take that candlelight dinner; buy those earrings or tech gadget for your spouse. But in the name of saving romance, marriages, and lives, it’s time to return God to the center of our romantic relationships. He’s far wiser and more loving than anything we can contrive.

Wheaton’s Cowardice In The Face Of Russ Vought Attacks Is Emblematic Of Its Leftward Lurch

It should not be controversial for Wheaton College to request prayer for alum Russ Vought as he takes a position in the Trump administration.