Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. Through prayer, we communicate with God, bring our requests before Him, and align our will with His purposes. However, sometimes we may wonder if our prayers align with God’s will. How can we know for sure that we are praying according to His will? Here are some biblical principles to keep in mind when praying to ensure your prayers align with God’s will: 1. Pray according to God’s Word and His revealed will God has revealed His will for us in His Word, the Bible. When we pray according to the…
Author: Erin Weitzman
Prayer is an important part of the Christian faith. As believers, we are told to pray continuously (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to cast all of our cares upon God, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). However, many Christians struggle with unanswered prayers which can lead to disappointment, confusion and even loss of faith. In this article, we will explore what the Bible teaches about God answering prayers and how we can align our prayers with His will. Have Faith and Believe One of the most important principles for having prayers answered is to have unwavering faith and belief…
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California from 1906 to 1915. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher, and centered around the Apostolic Faith Mission at 312 Azusa Street. The revival is considered to be one of the primary catalysts for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century. Some key aspects of the Azusa Street Revival were: Pentecostal spiritual experiences – Participants experienced spiritual gifts described in the Bible such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, and healing. Interracial unity – People of different races and…
King Elah was the fourth king of Israel, ruling for a brief period in the 9th century BC. He was part of the House of Baasha, which had seized the throne by assassinating the previous king Nadab and exterminating the House of Jeroboam. Elah’s reign lasted only 2 years before he was assassinated while drunk by Zimri, the commander of half his chariots. This ended the short-lived House of Baasha’s rule over Israel. Elah’s story is recounted in 1 Kings 16 in the Bible. He was the son and successor of Baasha, who had ruled Israel for 24 years from…
The genealogy of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapter 1 has sparked much discussion and debate over the centuries. Specifically, questions have arisen over Matthew’s division of the genealogy into three groups of 14 generations each (Matthew 1:17). A careful examination of the names listed reveals that this tidy division does not seem to match the actual number of generations between significant figures like David, the deportation to Babylon, and Jesus. There are several possible explanations that Bible scholars have proposed for this apparent discrepancy: 1. Matthew skipped generations for symbolic purposes Matthew specifically says there are 14 generations in each…
The Oriental Orthodox Church is a communion of six churches within Eastern Christianity that rejected the teachings on the nature of Christ by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. These churches are the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The key Christological difference between the Oriental Orthodox churches and the rest of Eastern Christianity, known as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is over the nature of Christ. The Oriental Orthodox insist that Christ has one…
King Amaziah was the 9th king of Judah, reigning for 29 years from 796-767 BC. He was the son and successor of King Joash. Amaziah’s story is told primarily in 2 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 25. Amaziah came to power when he was 25 years old after his father Joash was assassinated. The Bible says Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly” (2 Chronicles 25:2). At the beginning of his reign, he executed the officials who had conspired to kill his father, but spared their children according to the law of Moses.…
The topic of baptism in the Bible, specifically whether the Bible teaches believer’s baptism (also known as credobaptism), has been a source of much debate and discussion among Christians throughout history. The key questions revolve around whether baptism is reserved only for professing believers or if infants can or should also be baptized. Those who advocate for believer’s baptism argue that baptism in the New Testament was exclusively practiced upon those old enough to repent, believe, and make a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Those who practice infant baptism point to circumcision in the Old Testament, household baptisms…
Yielding to the Spirit is a concept in Christianity that refers to surrendering to the guidance, conviction, and prompting of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. It is the process of submitting our thoughts, desires, and actions to God’s will as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. The Bible encourages believers to yield or submit themselves to God and resist the desires of the sinful nature (Romans 6:13). Here is a more in-depth look at what it means to yield to the Spirit according to the Bible. Recognizing the Leading of the Holy Spirit An important starting point is…
The Day of Pentecost is a Christian holiday that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31). The Feast of Weeks was an annual Jewish festival also known as the Festival of the Harvest because it came 7 weeks after Passover. The Greek word pentekoste means “fiftieth day” and refers to the ancient practice of counting 50 days from Passover to calculate when to celebrate this feast. The Day of Pentecost therefore…