Dr Paul Allen

The start of a new year is a great time to assess where you are spiritually and to examine yourself to see where you need to grow in your walk with the Lord. You can look back on the past year and see how your life of prayer went, where it was strong and where it was weak; and you can seek the Lord to help you grow in your strengths and shore up your weaknesses. At the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we see the necessity of prayer in chapter six, verse 18 (“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints”). In spite of how comprehensive all of Paul’s instruction has been to this point, there is still one significant exhortation left to give to believers: prayer. Paul wanted the Ephesians to build a powerful life of prayer – one that was sustained in and out of crises that they faced on earth. He wanted prayer to be part of everything they did. He wanted them to be pe...

“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:5 ) It may be significant that most of the days during the year which have been considered to have some special meaning are observed as “Days”—for example, Independence Day , Veterans Day , Thanksgiving Day , etc. Those observed mainly at night—such as Halloween and New Year’s Eve , tend to emphasize frivolity or even sinfulness. Christmas Eve may be an exception, but this celebration (December 25) rarely notes the real reason for Christ ’s incarnation. It is for good reason that darkness has become a term referring not only to absence of daylight but also to absence of moral light. Many biblical references make this connection. Note just a sampling. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” ( Romans 13:12 ). “For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be dr...

Image via Wikipedia Many Christians take the beginning of a new year to evaluate their Bible reading habits, and then change or begin a Bible reading plan. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. — Psalm 119:105 For your convenience, we've compiled a list of Bible reading plans for you to choose from. Maybe this year you will read more of the Bible each day. Perhaps you'll slow down your reading and instead spend more time considering what you read. Whatever it is you're looking for in a reading plan, you should find it below. 52 Week Bible Reading Plan Read through the Bible in a year, with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: Epistles , The Law, History, Psalms , Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels . Duration:  One year |  Download:   PDF 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan Read through the New Testament in a year, reading Monday to Friday. Weekends are set aside for reflection and other reading. Especially beneficial if you're new to a daily disci...

Image via Wikipedia This year I started doing something I’ve never done before.  As I went through and looked at the major themes and ideas, I put a “+” or “-” symbol next to each one, indicating which of those seemed to have had an overall  negative  or  positive  impact on my soul  at the time .  ( Ultimately, there is no real way to judge this since over time we often end up seeing negatives as positives and vice versa…  But it does help me see and understand why there may have been seasons I felt depleted, depressed, or discouraged….or others where I felt energized and strengthened.  Identifying patterns or rhythms is important! ) GRATITUDE  – Through this process, there almost always comes a point where my heart swells with an immense amount of gratitude and thanksgiving for what God has done in my life and in the lives of those I love and lead.  So I take time in the midst of this reflection to offer thanksgiving and gratitud...

Image via Wikipedia This year I started doing something I’ve never done before.  As I went through and looked at the major themes and ideas, I put a “+” or “-” symbol next to each one, indicating which of those seemed to have had an overall  negative  or  positive  impact on my soul  at the time .  ( Ultimately, there is no real way to judge this since over time we often end up seeing negatives as positives and vice versa…  But it does help me see and understand why there may have been seasons I felt depleted, depressed, or discouraged….or others where I felt energized and strengthened.  Identifying patterns or rhythms is important! ) GRATITUDE  – Through this process, there almost always comes a point where my heart swells with an immense amount of gratitude and thanksgiving for what God has done in my life and in the lives of those I love and lead.  So I take time in the midst of this reflection to offer thanksgiving and gratitud...