Although we do not understand everything about God’s providence (Esther 4:14; Rom. 11:33), faithful Christians should firmly believe in the non-miraculous providence of God today. We can ask our loving Heavenly Father for anything according to His will, and He hears and grants our requests (1 Pet. 3:12; 1 Jn. 5:14-15). Sometimes we do not know what God’s will is (such as when we are deciding where to live or what job offer to accept), and we simply pray for wisdom and for God’s will to be done (Mt.… Read more
Category: Worship
10 Things for Which Christians Can Pray
Those who believe and obey the Gospel of Christ are blessed to have access to God the Father through His Son (Acts 2:36-42), and they may pray for things such as:
1. Forgiveness (Acts 8:22-24; Jam. 5:16; 1 Jn. 1:9)
2. Daily necessities (Matt. 6:11)
3. Deliverance from evil (Matt. 6:13)
4. Strength, boldness (Eph. 3:14-21; 6:18-19)
5. Opportunities (Col. 4:3; cf. 1 Cor. 16:9)
6. Wisdom (Jam. 1:5)
7. Other Christians (1 Thess. 5:25; Heb. 13:18)
8. Government leaders and all men (1 Tim.… Read more
The “Model Prayer” of Matthew 6 (for us)
1. Address the Father
2. Honor His name
3. Pray for the kingdom (the kingdom/church has come, but we can pray for it to spread, pray for the members, congregations, etc.)
4. Pray for God’s will to be done
5. Pray for daily necessities (“daily bread”)
6. Pray for forgiveness
7. Pray for deliverance from the evil one
8. Acknowledge God’s sovereignty and glory
9. Today we pray in Jesus’ name (John 16:23-24)
10. Say, “Amen”
Note: Jesus gave us an example of prayer, not to be quoted verbatim.… Read more
Ten Tips for Leading Public Prayers
1. Speak clearly and respectfully to God the Father in Jesus’ name
2. Use first person plural pronouns (we, us, our), not I, me, my
3. Think about your prayer in advance if possible
4. Honor prayer requests as much as possible (glancing at a note is ok)
5. If you make a mistake, fix it if possible and move on
6. Pray pertaining to the situation (Is this an opening prayer? closing prayer? prayer before communion? prayer before giving? prayer for someone to be forgiven?… Read more
They Don’t Sing on Sundays Anymore
The following is from a blog post called, “Why They Don’t Sing on Sunday Anymore.” It was written by a man named Thom Schultz, who is not a member of the church of Christ. I am not bidding him Godspeed but using his words to show how man’s “innovations” in worship have backfired on them. By the end of the article, Schultz finds himself desiring the kind of music God requires in New Testament worship–corporate, reciprocal singing from the heart (everyone singing together to the Lord while also singing to one another) (Eph.… Read more
God Does Not Owe Us a List of Everything He Does Not Want
Where did God say that using mechanical instruments in New Testament worship is forbidden? If God did not say, “Thou shalt not use mechanical instruments in New Testament worship,” are they automatically authorized? Friends, God has never owed man a list of all the things He does not want (as will be shown). To be faithful to Him, we simply need to know what He does want, and give Him exactly that. We must not presume that something other than what He specified is acceptable to Him, as many people in Bible times learned the hard way by being punished or even killed (Gen.… Read more
Do Hezekiah’s Actions Give Us Authority for Mechanical Instruments?
When God was bringing Israel out of Egypt, He instituted the Passover, which was to be observed by the Jews annually on the fourteenth day of the first month (Ex. 12:18). When Hezekiah was king over Judah, the Jews once observed the Passover in the second month instead of the first month, “because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves to Jerusalem” (2 Chr. 30:1-3). Some claim that since God had specified the first month, not the second month, they must have been allowed to do something differently than God specified.… Read more
How the Tabernacle Applies to Us
Men, Did You Give Thanks in Communion?
When brothers in Christ are leading the congregation in worship during the Lord’s Supper, it should be understood that they must follow the pattern given in the Scriptures (John 4:23, 24; Colossians 3:17; Hebrews 11:4, etc.). This would include the pattern of prayer exemplified by Jesus and repeated by Paul. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He gave thanks to the Father in Heaven for the unleavened bread, likewise giving thanks for the fruit of the vine (Matthew 26:26, 27; Mark 14:22, 23; Luke 22:17-19).… Read more
Does Revelation 5 Teach Prayer to Jesus?
On several occasions, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. He taught them how to pray before His death (Mt. 6:9-13; 7:7-11; Lk. 11:1-4), and He taught them how they should pray after His death, burial, and resurrection (Jn. 14-16). On every occasion, Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father, not to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus explicitly told His disciples not to address Him in prayer after He left them in the Father’s care: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.… Read more
15 Reasons Not to Use Mechanical Instruments in Worship
- Worship must be offered exactly the way God specified. It is not about what we may want, but what God wants (John 4:23, 24). Just ask Cain, Nadab, Abihu, Korah, Jeroboam, Uzziah, and many others who “learned this the hard way” in the Bible (Genesis 4:1-5; Leviticus 10:1-3; 1 Kings 12:26-33; 13:4; 2 Chronicles 26:16-23; Matthew 15:9; John 4:23, 24; Colossians 2:23, etc.).
- Mechanical instruments are not authorized in the New Testament for worship. God specified singing as the type of music He desires in New Testament worship (Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13; cf.
Historical Quotes About Mechanical Instruments in Worship
“I have no objection to instruments of music in our worship, provided they are neither seen nor heard.” — John Wesley, founder of Methodism, quoted in Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 685.
“But were it even evident, which it is not, either from this or any other place in the sacred writings, that instruments of music were prescribed by divine authority under the law, could this be adduced with any semblance of reason, that they ought to be used in Christian worship?… Read more
Running from a Lion to a Bear
When Amos addressed Israel regarding the judgment of the Lord, he wrote, “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him. . .” (Amos 5:18, 19). With these verses Amos was referring to inescapable judgment, but it can also be said that sometimes when people attempt to avoid something harmful they may often go to an extreme which can be just as harmful as the issue they were initially trying to avoid. … Read more
The Question of Praying to the Holy Spirit
Should Christians pray to the Holy Spirit? Considering the clarity with which the Scriptures teach men to pray exclusively to the Father, one may wonder why this question even needs asking. Sadly, some openly teach that Christians may address the Holy Spirit in prayer. What are the repercussions if Christians begin believing such a doctrine? In the future, will congregations all over the world be praying to the Holy Spirit in worship assemblies? This is a dangerous doctrine which needs to be answered.… Read more