Suffering: What’s the point of it? Who’s to blame for it? Why does God allow it? How can I avoid it? How can I get free? Why is it so hard to get free? Those last three questions anyone can ask. The first three require faith. That makes it thorny.
The Bible is a book of miracles. That’s our first stop, though it's far from being the main reason why the Bible is a miracle book. Still, it's worth remembering that the miraculous runs through the pages of scripture like streams flowing through fertile valleys.
Jesus prayed using all five and He will certainly help you learn to use them, too. The first step into this brave, new world is to understand the five different approaches and recognize the situations that call for them. Enjoy your voyage of discovery, my friend.
Hearing what people say is one thing. Really listening is something else. What turns listening into an art form is juggling listening to others and listening for the Lord at the same time. Listen well enough to others and you will more easily hear from the Lord.
In the scriptures, Jesus invites us to receive a supernatural empowerment for service under His leadership. Unlike the indwelling presence of the Spirit, which is given automatically at conversion, this comes by seeking it.
It has been long-believed by many that substance abuse is due to a chemical "hook" that snares the addict physically. Four facts put the lie to this cultural myth and clear the way for the truth to bring true and lasting liberation.