Grow in your faith through devotions written by Hope pastors and staff every weekday! Subscribe today to receive the devotions straight to your email inbox each weekday morning.
In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus talks about having a good or healthy eye. I know in photography, having a good eye is very important for putting together an interesting shot. Recently, I learned from the BibleProject that having a “good eye” in Jesus’ time meant you were generous with your resources. Likewise, having a “bad eye”… Read more
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns his followers not to repeat empty words and phrases in their prayers like the Gentiles do. Instead, he gives them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. If we’re going to repeat anything, the prayer Jesus taught ought to be that prayer. In fact, the people of Israel… Read more
Most ancient Middle Eastern cultures related to their gods in a very transactional manner. If you wanted something, you had to give the gods something they wanted. This even included the way you prayed. In 2 Kings Chapter 18, the prophets of the god Baal did all kinds of things to earn their god’s attention. Read more
In Jesus’ teaching on prayer, he tells us to pray to our Father where nobody will see. And when we do that, God will reward us for our prayer. It seems rather strange to be rewarded for praying. What kind of reward do we get? A new car? More points toward heaven? While psychologists and… Read more
