NMC Audio Podcast

Throughout the biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation, we see God’s heart to work with His people to carry out His purposes. What if our greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God is our prayers? What if God’s desire is for us to stand in the gap for others with intercessory prayers?

Prayer is essential to the Christian faith. Some may even say that prayer is life—that prayer is more than just something we do—it’s a lifestyle to embody. The Apostle Paul encourages followers of Jesus to pray without ceasing. Why, then, do most of us seriously struggle to have a vibrant prayer life? Are you satisfied with your prayer life? Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the Great Teacher, and learn how to pray.

Anxiety is a reality of life. These are uncertain times. Every season of life presents its own version of anxiety. Anxiety brings heaviness; everything seems out of control. There’s a feeling of uncertainty. Yet, Jesus presents a clear path amidst that heaviness. 

The psalms use beautiful word images to paint pictures of what a relationship with the Lord can be. In other places in the Bible, authors have taken the language of the psalmist and reiterated the idea of tasting the goodness of God. What an invitation! To experience, tangibly, through the senses, the goodness of God. Have you tasted and seen?

They show up in fairy tales, on magazine covers, and on the big screen. We talk about them from time to time not always knowing how they connect to us or bring meaning to our lives. “They” are Kings & Queens.

They are royalty—romanticized figures who seem out of touch and out of place in everyday life. But thankfully, the Psalms don’t overly romanticize the image of God as our King. Rather, we see how serious God is about

affecting our world and about our response to Him. His posture toward us is an invitation to partner with Him.

It may be surprising to know that psalms of lament are the most common subcategory of passages in the book of Psalms. Laments give voice to the intensity of pain, confusion, doubts, and sorrow that are part of the human experience. It’s not a question of if we’ll experience pain in this life, but rather where do we turn to in our pain? How do we process our pain?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” The psalms give us an honest look at David’s inconsistency. He wants God to enact justice but wants himself to be exempt from the justice he is due. This is the justice paradox: we want God to be fair, but also personally receive unfair treatment. How do we make sense of this?

The psalmist David writes, “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.” When we look at the work of God’s hands, and when we reflect on His great salvific work in our lives, how can we do anything but praise His holy name for ever and ever? The people of God are people of praise! 

Psalms, the ancient prayer book in the Bible, showcases the interactions of people with God. In these poems, the beauty of creation is highlighted, the dynamics of relationships are exposed, and the characteristics of God are on display. Psalm 19 highlights the Word of God and invites the reader to respond. Will we welcome wisdom or choose something else?

The psalmist in Psalm 73 finds himself fixated on the prosperity of the wicked in the world instead of on God. We can find ourselves in this same position, with questions and comparisons in our minds. As we challenge our grads to keep their eyes on God, let’s take a moment to reflect on where our eyes are focused in this season.