The Pastor's Perspective

  Have you ever found yourself trying to help God out?      Maybe you were waiting on an answer to prayer, staring at an unresolved problem, or waiting for a loved one to turn their life around, and you decided it was time to step in and take matters into your own hands. Maybe you felt like God was taking too long. Maybe you felt like the old statement is true that "God helps those who help themselves" and so you took matters into your own hands.       In our culture of instant gratification, waiting is hard and at times seems impossible. We want quick solutions, fast results, and immediate action. Research continuously shows how impatient our fast-paced society has become. If we go to the drive through we want our food quick, we don't want to be waiting in a long line to get our food. We don't like to be on hold for a call. We don't like to sit in a long line of traffic on the highway. We are impatient and it plays out in our lives in a thousand ...

      When was the last time you prayed—not because you needed something immediately, but simply because it was the most important thing you could do that day? When was the last time you prayed not to receive something from God, but to simply worship the God who can supply all your needs?        For many of us, prayer is a "break glass in case of emergency" tool. We know it’s a good idea, and we often promise to do it for others, but in our hectic, busy schedules, those prayers frequently get lost in the cracks of our busy lives.        Interestingly, while prayer meetings are often the least-attended services in American churches, the same is not true globally . In countries where Christians face fierce persecution, prayer is not an optional extra; it is the absolute foundation of the church .      According to a 2021 Barna Group report , while 65% of Americans say they pray at least once a week, only 26% say they ...