Copyright https://www.christianity.com 2025, Christianity.com Wed, 16 Apr 2025 06:01:02 -0400 https://www.christianity.com/plus/the-risen-jesus-invites-you-to-a-risen-life.html https://www.christianity.com/plus/the-risen-jesus-invites-you-to-a-risen-life.html James Spencer https://www.christianity.com/author/james-spencer/ The empty tomb was just the beginning—discover why Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and glorification are the real foundation of our faith, and how your life is the evidence the world needs to see. Wed, 16 Apr 2025 01:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/how-to-pray-for-the-repentance-of-those-you-love.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/how-to-pray-for-the-repentance-of-those-you-love.html John Stange https://www.christianity.com/author/john-stange/ When someone you love is running from God, it’s hard to know what to do—but this powerful reflection on Hosea 6 reminds us to keep praying, keep hoping, and trust that God’s mercy can meet them where they are and bring them home. Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:05:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/3-prayers-for-young-adults-living-with-a-disability.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/3-prayers-for-young-adults-living-with-a-disability.html Michelle Treacy https://www.christianity.com/author/michelle-treacy/ Today, we are lifting up young adults who are living with a disability in prayer. Whether it's you, someone you love, or someone who lives in your community who struggles with a debilitating illness, reading these words may help or equip you to pray for the daily struggle that long-term, incurable illness entails. At 37, I still struggle, myself, with symptoms that began when I was 18. It’s been a long two decades medically. I hate using the word disability to define myself. I do not consider myself disabled, but differently abled. Many sympathize with the daily journey through disabilities, some of which are visible, and others that loom under the surface. God knows every page of our story, and the pain we experience. Let's pray today for those who are suffering here on earth with an incurable disability or disease. Photo Credit: Image created using ChatGPT2025 Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:30:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/20-short-prayers-to-prepare-your-heart-for-easter.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/20-short-prayers-to-prepare-your-heart-for-easter.html Rachel Wojo https://www.christianity.com/author/rachel-wojo/ Do you find yourself rushing to Easter Sunday without fully experiencing the journey? I've been there before. As the celebration of Easter approaches, we want more than surface traditions. What if we were to walk the sacred path from Calvary to the empty tomb?The prayers guide us through the Easter story, beginning with Christ's sacrifice, moving through the tension of waiting, and peaking in the dawn of resurrection. These twenty prayers are inspired by John 12:24, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Each prayer creates space for this Bible story to transform your current life. The prayers are divided into three sections of The Crucifixion, Waiting and Reflection, and Living the Resurrection.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Kristina Kuptsevich Mon, 07 Apr 2025 13:05:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/short-prayers-to-begin-and-end-the-day.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/short-prayers-to-begin-and-end-the-day.html Jessica Brodie https://www.christianity.com/author/jessica-brodie/ I don’t know about you, but one of the things that captures my heart about the TV series The Chosen is the simple morning and evening prayers Jesus and his disciples offer consistently.In the morning, they say something along the lines of, “Thank you, living and enduring King, for you have mercifully restored my soul within me. Great is your faithfulness.” And when they prepare for sleep, they offer something like, “Blessed are you, Lord our God and King of the Universe, who brings sleep to my eyes and slumber to my eyelids. May it be your will, O Lord and God of my ancestors, that I lie down in peace and arise in peace.”Both are traditional Jewish prayers—a variation of the Modeh Ani in the morning and the Shema in the evening—and remind me a bit of the simple prayer I was taught to pray as a little girl: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, may angels watch me in the night, and keep me in thy blessed sight. Amen.”The beautiful thing about authentic Christianity is there is no single perfectly correct way to pray. We know the Lord urges us to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV), and prayer can look different for everyone. Still, some mornings and nights are harder than others. Perhaps we are grieving, depressed, or exhausted, and praying feels incredibly hard. Or perhaps we crave a little guidance on what to say as we discover our own unique manner of authentic prayer.If that’s what you’re seeking, I offer a collection of four morning and four evening prayers to help you on your personal journey.Photo Credit: ©Thinkstock/ijeab Sun, 06 Apr 2025 11:05:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/top-7-reasons-why-christians-pray.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/top-7-reasons-why-christians-pray.html Rachel Rector https://www.christianity.com/author/rachel-rector/ Why Should Christians Pray?In the beginning of time, God created humans to be in an intimate relationship with Him. Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden with God by their side. However, Satan deceived and tempted them, and they chose to walk in the enticing temptation, resulting in the first sin. This caused sin to enter the world and to disconnect humans from direct intimacy with God. From then on, the human race has been in a spiritual battle between right and wrong, good and evilPrayer is one of the ways that we can draw closer to God. It connects us back to Him and draws us closer to His will and His perfect ways. It is not just another religious act that we “must” check off of our religious to-do list. Instead, it holds Holy Spirit power that can activate provision, wisdom, and abundant blessings that only those in relationship with Him can attain. The following are the Top 7 Reasons Christians Need to Pray.Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/ Ben White Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/earth-day-prayers-and-scriptures-that-celebrate-gods-creation.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/earth-day-prayers-and-scriptures-that-celebrate-gods-creation.html Justin Wiggins https://www.christianity.com/author/justin-wiggins/ Though this world is broken and fallen, it is still the artwork of a good and loving Creator who is continually making all things new each day through acts of kindness, justice, compassion, and the complexity and beauty found in nature. As Christians, we are called to be caretakers of the Earth, not exploiters. Much of human history has involved the exploitation of land because of money and power. This comes from the sin of pride and is what caused Lucifer to fall in the beginning. When human beings desecrate the earth and use it for their own profit, it is an act of sin since it is disrespecting the glory of God. When Christians show gratitude for the Earth through creation care, they glorify God and honor his name. In the beginning, when our primitive ancestors lived in a paradisiacal state in the Garden of Eden, there was no such thing as sin. There existed perfect harmony between all created beings and with God. This state of perfection ended when sin entered the world after a sacred covenant was broken between God and humanity. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we humans experience the reality of what N. T. Wright has called "new creation." In this context, our vocation is to be good stewards of the Earth since this is still God’s good world. The following are prayers and Scripture passages that will aid us in celebrating the gift of God's Creation on Earth Day and encourage us to care for it all year round. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/NirutiStock Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/7-scriptures-to-pray-when-you-are-sad.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/7-scriptures-to-pray-when-you-are-sad.html Alicia Searl https://www.christianity.com/author/alicia-searl/ Jesus wept. This Scripture, located in John 11:35, is often touted for being the “shortest verse in the Bible,” but, friends, we mustn’t discount its relevance to the amazing impact these words had when it comes to the ministry of Jesus Christ.In John 11:1-43, we see this beautiful story unfold as Jesus arrives at a scene (supposedly late) where his good friends are mourning the loss of their brother, Lazarus. This is Jesus’ friend, too, and upon witnessing the crowd’s sorrow, we see the human side of our God emerge as He is moved to tears Himself. This story embraces His compassion and shows Jesus’ sincere response to their sadness, embracing His own. Jesus’ timing was impeccable, as it always is, to prove that He wasn’t just God, but He was, in fact, human. He felt things deeply, including sadness and sorrow.If you are in a deep place of sadness, walking through a valley of darkness, or just simply overcome with emotions that are confusing and difficult to understand, I assure you that God feels your hurt, sees your pain, and understands. The Bible holds many verses that can wrap us in comfort and peace. So, let’s unpack some of those today. Take out Your Bible and let these verses and prayers wash over you, bringing you out of the darkness and into the goodness of light.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Marcos Calvo Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/what-is-imprecatory-prayer-and-should-christians-use-it.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/what-is-imprecatory-prayer-and-should-christians-use-it.html Britt Mooney https://www.christianity.com/author/britt-mooney/ An imprecatory prayer calls upon God to bring judgment, justice, or curses upon enemies or the wicked. Thu, 27 Mar 2025 09:45:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/what-is-the-catholic-rosary-and-is-there-anything-similar-in-other-denominations.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/what-is-the-catholic-rosary-and-is-there-anything-similar-in-other-denominations.html Sophia Bricker https://www.christianity.com/author/sophia-bricker/ Is the rosary just a Catholic tradition—or could it be a deeper prayer tool Christians across denominations can appreciate? This article unpacks what the rosary really is, how it’s prayed, and explores how similar practices exist in other Christian traditions. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or somewhere in between, this is a thoughtful look at prayer, tradition, and connecting with God. Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T06:01:02-04:00