From the Central Blog
Reflections on prayer, scripture, and life together — written by our ministers and members.
New Wednesday Night Offerings
Central Church
Demons at Church
The gospel of Mark has no shortage of stories where Jesus encounters demons. Remarkably, the first time we Jesus encountering—and exorcising—an evil spirit is…at church!
Prayer and the Love of God
“The number one obstacle the modern person faces when it comes to prayer is an inability to receive the love of God.” -Tyler Staton
Deliverance Belongs to the Lord!
Today, pray through this deep prayer from the Bible…it comes from Jonah, chapter 2.
Help, Thanks, Wow
“My three prayers are variations on Help, Thanks, Wow. That's all I'll ever need, besides the silence, the pain, and the pause sufficient for me to stop, close my eyes, and turn inward.”
For Our Enemies
“If a man wants God to hear his prayer quickly, then before he prays for anything else, even his own soul, when he stands and stretches out his hands towards God, he must pray with all his heart for his enemies. Through this action God will hear everything that he asks.”
Attention
I often think of prayer as “sacred attention”. Attention is at the very heart of prayer—and not just our attention.
Surrender
It is in surrendering to the will of the One with all authority we enjoy freedom.
Thank you
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘thank you’, it will be enough.”
Beloved
But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.
Only Loving Things
“When we pray we enter the real world, the substance of the kingdom, and our bodies and souls begin to function for the first time as they were created to function.”
Steven Hovater
Contentment is not often something that just happens to us. Nor is it like a switch that we can simply turn on when we wish.
Prayer Entry
I think for most of us, prayer is something we don’t do nearly enough
Questions
What questions do you desire to bring to God today?
Prayer and Candor
“We must lay before him what is in us, not what ought to be in us.” - C. S. Lewis
Cain, Hagar, and Prayer
It is debatable as to when prayer is first mentioned or introduced in the Biblical text, but most arguments hold that the first prayers consist of humans having access to communicate with God.
Access
Have you ever had the opportunity to meet a celebrity?
Imagination and Prayer
Today, move towards your time in prayer with a moment of imagination.
US
It’s often pointed out that the the Lord’s prayer uses “our/we/us” language instead of “my/I/me” language.
An Intercession Exercise
Bring a friend before God in prayer.
Praying from the Gospel
Today, prepare for prayer by remembering the gospel of Jesus, the one who by his cross and resurrection has given you life.
Short Prayers from Scripture
“Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O LORD, make haste to help me!”(Psalm 70:1)
Teach Us To Pray
“Lord, teach us to pray.” - Luke 11:1
The Table of Faith
The Table of Jesus is a table of faith.
What Does Patience Produce?
What benefit comes from practicing patience?
A New Heavens and a New Earth
Meditate on this text
Patient Sowing
“The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:7–8 NRSV)
Images of the Incarnation
The story of the incarnation of the son of God gives us a rich selection of imagery.
Points of Light
Sometimes we experience light from a single source, like the sun burning at midday or a lamp that can fill a room.
Psalm 130
Today, we’re praying through Psalm 130. Many of the psalms carry tones that resonate with the advent theme of waiting on God, and make wonderful companions for prayer!
The Table of Abundant-Enough
The table of Jesus is neither a table of lacking nor of excess.
Prayer from a Longing Heart
As we lean into our longings for the Lord, we come to grips with our inability to comprehend—much less control—God’s timing.
Already…and Not Yet
The church carries Christ’s presence as both “already” and also ”not yet”.
Beyond Words
When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Praying and Seeing
“Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God’s point of view.” - Philip Yancey
For Each Other
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18