The Bible teaches that God is sovereign and providentially orchestrates all things. In the Old Testament even the unbelieving king Cyrus of the Persian Empire is called “God’s servant”, because he, unknowingly, carries out God’s purposes. In the Bible God is always pictured as in control of all things, even natural disasters, the throw of… Continue reading If all things happen according to God’s will, why pray?
Tag: prayer
Why only Christians can pray
On Saturday morning we ended our church’s mission’s month with a seminar presented by Bishop Frank Retief. One of the topics covered was, “Why pray for missions?” In introducing his subject, Frank made the point that only Christians can pray. I’m assuming that we all understand pray to mean: speaking to God. If there is… Continue reading Why only Christians can pray
How to pray for power
A lot is said about power these days. Power evangelism. “Powerful” church services. There is even a power-Bible. Is praying for power wrong for Christians? Does it conjure up images of witches and warlocks mixing potions and reciting spells, while requesting power from some evil, occultic being? Is prayer for power legitimate and biblical?
A praise-song for Africa
A key figure in the Xhosa tradition is the imbongi or praise singer. The praise singers traditionally live close to the chief’s “great place” (the cultural and political focus of his activity); they accompany the chief on important occasions – a praise singer preceded Nelson Mandela at his Presidential inauguration in 1994. The praise songs generally… Continue reading A praise-song for Africa
A Prayer for Africa (Ephesians 1:15-19)
Ephesians ch. 1 has a great prayer for Christians in Africa, especially considering our backdrop of African Traditional Religions with their strong belief in spirits, spiritual powers and the influence of the ancestors. Thankful for your faith (15) For this reason I also having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and the love… Continue reading A Prayer for Africa (Ephesians 1:15-19)