When I was a teenager in Argentina, a missionary from California taught me how to pray. His name was Keith Benson. Keith asked if I would like to pray with him once a week. I was thrilled! The first afternoon we got together, Keith put a map on the wall. On the map was the city of Cordoba, which is the second largest city in Argentina.

We began praying for each and every church in Cordoba. It took many months, but we did it! Then Keith began putting up maps of other cities throughout Argentina, and we prayed for those by name, week after week.

Eventually, it was on to South America. We prayed for each and every country. Finally, Keith brought out a globe of the world! And I fell in love with the nations! I learned so much through those prayer sessions. Keith taught me that regular prayer not only enhances your relationship with God, but it increases your vision for what God can do through your prayers. I determined that I was ready to go wherever the Lord called me!

In John 16, Jesus says: “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Whatever we ask in Jesus’ name, He promises to do it. So dream big – but pray even bigger – that God will use you to reach your world for Jesus Christ!

In a recent conversation I had with an atheist friend of mine, he said, “The Bible is good literature. Integrating Hebrew, Greek and Roman culture, it abounds in beautiful prose, proverbs and poems. What is more, he continued, it has formulated many ethical standards for many people, then and now.”

My friend is exactly right! He understands the essential meaning of the Bible from the writers’ perspective. But what distinguishes a Christian’s belief about the Bible from an atheist’s is that we see the Bible as part of God’s total revelation to man.

God is personal, having created us humans to be in relationship with Himself. And because He is invisible, He chose to reveal Himself in written form through the Bible. Christians believe the Bible is inspired by God.

That even as human authors wrote freely, God made sure the end result was everything He wanted us to know about Him. That’s why we call it inerrancy- it has no errors. In the book of II Samuel in the Bible, it says, “the word of God is flawless.” The more we study it, the better we get to know God and His ways.

Let God reveal something new about Himself to you. Dig in to His flawless Word today. It does NOT disappoint and you will be very spiritually motivated!

Many people today attack the authority of God’s Word. They throw out certain passages they don’t understand, and question many others. Yet Jesus Himself recognized the Scriptures as God’s perfect Word. The Bible itself clearly states in 2nd Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is God-breathed.” So if you’ve recently led someone to faith in Jesus, it’s critical to establish the truth and authenticity of the Bible with them. Remind your new brother or sister in the Lord that the Bible is God’s authoritative word. Nothing in God’s Word is unimportant. Now, not all of truth in the Bible is immediately understandable. So if your friend is struggling to understand a passage, encourage them to pray about it, and talk to someone who can help them gain insight. Nothing that the Lord has said in the Bible should ever be treated irreverently or dismissed. By accepting the Bible as God’s Word, your friend will experience authority, power, and fellowship in their new relationship with God. Belief in the full authority of Scripture is vital to living an authentic, victorious Christian life! Only through such faith can your friend receive all that God has in store for them

Have you recently led someone to Jesus Christ? If so, congratulations! Nothing compares to the joy of helping to usher a soul into the family of God! And now you have the opportunity to help your friend grow in their new relationship with the Lord! One of the first steps you can take is to encourage your friend in their new faith. They may be struggling with some doubt, and wonder, “Am I really saved? Did Jesus really come into my heart? How do I know for sure?” Remind your friend of the truth from God’s Word. In John 10:28 Jesus tells us: “I give them eternal life, they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” New believers may also struggle with a sense of guilt from their past sins. If that happens, open the Bible to Romans 8:1 where Paul writes, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And finally, remind your new brother or sister in Christ that Jesus lives in them. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” These verses will help a new believer. God’s Word can penetrate your friend’s heart, with the Lord’s promises