God’s Sovereignty and Prayer

"It grieves me that so many believers view the doctrine of God’s sovereignty as a deterrent to a healthy, vibrant prayer life. That kind of thinking demonstrates an inadequate, incomplete and unacceptable understanding, both of God’s sovereignty and of prayer. In truth, we pray because God is sovereign. He alone has power over all human events. In praying, we don’t run from His sovereignty, we run to it.

It’s absolutely true that God is sovereign over every detail of our lives. Job acknowledged that even the number of every person’s days is determined (Job 14:5). Life and death are in His hands (Jam. 4:15). Yet we eat and breathe and sleep and take measures to avoid any kind of calamity that might end our lives prematurely. Why? That’s the very same question as, “Why pray if God is sovereign?” Here’s the answer to why we need to breathe, and why we need to pray: God ordains the means as well as the end. And our prayers are one of the important means by which He accomplishes His will and glorifies Himself in the process."

– John MacArthur

HT: Christian Research Network

Thank God for His Word

Here'a a brief overview of some of the benefits of God's Word.


• The Scriptures should be our joy: Psalm 1:2 and Psalm 119.

• God gives His Spirit through His Word: Galatians 3:2 and Romans 8:5.

• The word of God gives hope: Romans 15:4 and Psalm 78:5, 7.

• The word of God makes us free: Psalm 119:45 and John 8:32
• The Word of God makes us wise: Psalm 19:7-8 and 119:98.
• Wisdom brings joy: Proverbs 3:13.
• The Word of God gives assurance: 1 John 5:13
• The Word of God overcomes the evil one: Ephesians 6:17
• The Word of God revives us: Psalm 19:7.
• The Word of God is our life: Deuteronomy 32:46-47
• Our physical life depends upon God's word:
• He created us by His Word: Psalm 33:6 and Hebrews 11:3
• He keeps us in existence by His Word: Hebrews 1:3
• Our spiritual life depends upon God's Word:
• We are born again by God's Word: James 1:18 and 1 Peter 1:23
• We go on living spiritually by God's Word: Matthew 4:4
• The Word of God causes faith: Romans 10:17 and John 20:31.

HT: Steve Camp's Blog

7 Thoughts on Reading the Bible by J.C Ryle

1) Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it.

2) Read the Scriptures with a simple, childlike faith and humility.

3) Read the Word with a spirit of obedience and self-application.

4) Read the Holy Scriptures everyday.

5) Read the whole Bible and read it in an orderly way.

6) Read the Word of God fairly and honestly.

7) Read the Bible with Christ constantly in view.

~ J.C. Ryle

Here is a short, 2 minute video, explaining each of these 7 thoughts.



HT: jcrylequotes.com