St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Brick, NJ

National Day of Prayer Web Blog

Spiritual Prayer, Spiritual Battle by Shirley Dobson
After telling us about our need for spiritual armor in facing our enemy, Paul adds: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Commenting on this verse in How to Pray, R.A. [...]
There, but Not Present
I was there, but not present. I was oblivious. Like those vintage photos of Albert Einstein with his crazy hair, where he looks like the absent-minded professor, I was the absentee. I was solving my Pi. And when 3.141592 … is going around in your head, it’s hard to think about anything else. It drives [...]
The Wellspring of Life by Shirley Dobson
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus expanded our understanding of this “wellspring” in the heart. “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38). Consider John Calvin’s commentary on this passage: There can be no doubt…that [...]
Praying in the Spirit by Shirley Dobson
Listen to Oswald Chambers on what it means to pray in the Spirit: The whole meaning of praying is that we may know God. The “asking and receiving” prayer is elementary; it is the part of prayer we can understand. But it is not necessarily praying in the Holy Spirit…Our minds must be saturated by the [...]
Red Hot “Firecracker” Prayer by Shirley Dobson
Charles Spurgeon wrote this commentary on the apostle Jude’s phrase, “pray in the Holy Spirit,” from Jude 1:20: Praying in the Holy Ghost is praying in fervency. Cold prayers ask the Lord not to hear them. Those who do not plead with fervency, plead not at all. As well speak of lukewarm fire as of lukewarm [...]
Priority of Prayer by Shirley Dobson
In Power through Prayer, E.M. Bounds argues persuasively for making prayer a priority in our busy schedules: To pray is the greatest thing we can do: and to do it well there must be calmness, time, and deliberation; otherwise it is degraded into the littlest and meanest of things…There is nothing which it takes more time [...]
Prayer Versus Sleep by Shirley Dobson
In Gethsemane, Jesus “returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak’” (Matthew 26:40-41). In A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy [...]
Glorifying the Lord by Shirley Dobson
The 59th Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer was a historic moment in heaven and on earth. It will forever be an eternal blessing to our Lord as we united in intercession on behalf of our communities and our nation. Jesus said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the [...]
Prayer in Times of Trouble by Shirley Dobson
We sometimes feel a bit ashamed to find that most of our prayers occur during severe hardships. Yet Martin Luther seemed to view the situation differently: Except under troubles, trials, and vexations, prayer cannot rightly be made. God says: “Call on me in the time of trouble”; without trouble it is only a bald prattling, and [...]
Shirley Dobson says, “Enough is Enough”
National days of prayer have occurred since 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the nation to join in a petition for divine guidance. Since then, 34 of 44 U.S. presidents have called for days of prayer during times of crisis, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush, and George W. [...]

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